Better to Forgive and Forget
by TheLionBone
Summary: Lion is a rogue that has to prove herself to her new Clan, ShadowClan. Little does she know that a prophecy revolves around her, one that predicts the end of the Clans. She finds herself faced with a series of challenges, and at the same time, must defeat the greatest enemy of all: a cat that holds the power of StarClan in his paws. What will happen to the Clans now?
1. Prologue

Scarletberry's eyes opened wide when she heard a yowl from the clearing. Her head rose from her nest as she stared at the entrance in confusion. It was in the middle of the night; the stars were shining at their highest, and the moon, almost halfway full, was casting its brilliant light in the ditch where the ShadowClan camp was located. There was no reason for a meeting to be called so late in the night.

"Is Lunarstar mad?" a slim brown tom with large paws muttered angrily. Scarletberry gave the warrior a concerned look. "I don't think that was Lunarstar. At least it didn't _sound _like him." she replied, her voice edged with worry. The brown tom heaved himself onto his paws and shook out the moss clumps that was clung to his fur. The little pieces of moss flung across the den, landing on some of the other sleeping warriors that did not hear the call. They awoke with a hiss of annoyance, and gave the brown warrior a harsh glance. However, the brown tom had already left the den, and had not noticed the hostility being aimed at him. Scarletberry gave the warriors a weak smile of apology, then stood up and quickly left the den before another argument could arise.

When Scarletberry stood outside, a rush of cold, night wind blew up against her fur, sending a shiver running down her spine. She thought it was too cold to be out this late for a Clan meeting, but something inside her head told her that it was more important than just an announcement. Scarletberry glanced up and saw the brown tom in a frozen stance, just staring. Her amber eyes looked past her clanmate, and her fur immediately began to rise. The rest of the warriors had dragged themselves from the den, their eyes sagging and their minds still half-asleep. They all turned their heads to the clearing, and like a snap, their minds were fully awake and their claws unsheathed. Several hisses escaped ShadowClan as they stared at the inhospitable, WindClan warriors standing in their camp clearing.

"Ivystar, what is the meaning of this?" a voice demanded from up high. All eyes turned to the right where the back of the camp was. A large stone grown from the ground was placed in front of the back wall of the ditch. It was made out of black crystals that made the inside half hollow and the outside layered in jagged points. The bottom of the stone came out of the ground while the back of it out from the wall. Two, narrow, slopes curved down on both sides had just enough space for a cat to climb onto it. At the top of the slope, there were two passages. One way was into the leader's den, which was a cave in the wall. The other was a slope that led to the tip of the stone where the largest, jagged edge was pointed to the stars. At the tip stood a large, dark gray tabby with blazing, hazel eyes that looked enraged.

"WindClan has been pushed around too much by the other Clans!" a white she-cat with silver paws yowled back the response. Her chin lowered so her green eyes were narrowed back at the dark tabby. "ShadowClan has especially been the one to cause the most trouble." Scarletberry called back a protest, and all of the other ShadowClan warriors joined in. The WindClan leader shot them a silencing glare, then turned back the tabby. Her lips curled back into a snarl as she growled, "Well, Lunarstar?" Lunarstar unsheathed his claws and scratched them against the surface of the black crystals. His whiskers twitched mockingly as he spoke. "Why worry about something that happened many moons ago? Why start a fight now?" Ivystar hissed with bitterness in her tone. "Because ShadowClan stole our prey!"

"What?!" Lunarstar gagged, staring wide-eyed at the WindClan leader. Scarletberry couldn't help but to gape. The brown tom standing next to her lashed his tail. His blue eyes were burning with an angry fire that wouldn't die. Continuously, his claws would flex into the ground, loosen, and flex again. The other ShadowClan warriors were yowling and spitting insults as the WindClan warriors supported their leader with cheers and encouraging mews. Scarletberry could see that some of the warriors looked uneasy about the accusation; her guesses were that they were nervous about what StarClan would think of them now.

"Ivystar, you first come into our camp in the middle of the night, you then offend my warriors by reminding us of something our _ancestors _did long ago, and _now _you accuse all of ShadowClan that we've been stealing your—your _prey_!" Lunarstar spat the last words like a piece of crow-food. While listening, the WindClan leader was looking angrier and angrier by the second as a deep grudge opened in her heart. She snarled again, her ears flat against her head. With a flick of her silver tail, the WindClan warriors crouched down into battle position. Their eyes were aimed at the ShadowClan warriors, each of them looking for their own target. Lunarstar took one glance at WindClan, then to his own warriors. His tail went straight up into the air, causing them to fall into position. Lunarstar's furious, hazel eyes turned back to Ivystar, and his lips curled back into bared teeth. "You want a battle?" he asked coldly. Ivystar let out a hiss of annoyance. Lunarstar narrowed his eyes into slits. "So be it." ShadowClan's leader lashed his tail down.

Scarletberry let out a battle cry, and flung herself at the nearest WindClan warrior. The warrior, a brown tom named Ratwhisker, weaved to the side before Scarletberry's claws could tear his flesh. Scarletberry, not expecting the dodge, crashed into Birchcloud, the tabby warrior behind Ratwhisker. The two, shocked she-cats rolled with each other until their fighting senses returned. Birchcloud pushed her weight onto Scarletberry, pinning the ginger warrior to the ground. Scarletberry began to struggle, but could not escape Birchcloud's grasp. Ratwhisker slowly approached, his rat-like, amber eyes glistening in amusement when he saw the ShadowClan warrior on the ground. "I thought ShadowClan trained their warriors." he sneered. Scarletberry gave one last attempt to escape, then fell back, panting. Her amber eyes narrowed as she hissed back, "We train everyday with our claws unsheathed!" Birchcloud smirked. "Really? Is that so?" she mocked, "So do we!" Scarletberry glared at her, then turned back to Ratwhisker. "What are you planning to get out of this, anyway?" the ginger warrior demanded. The light brown tom scowled. "Respect!" he roared. His claws lashed down, scratching Scarletberry's cheek. The wound instantly began to bled, sending droplets of blood to soak into the ShadowClan warrior's fur.

"Let her go." a familiar voice growled. Scarletberry was relieved when she saw the brown tom, her clanmate, standing close by. "Bearstep!" she called the tom by his name. Ratwhisker's ears went flat against his head when he turned around to fix his eyes on the newcomer. His whiskers began to twitch in a scornful manner. "Look at that! Bigfoot is brave enough to join the fight! Too bad his head is as slow as his paws!" Bearstep came close enough so that he was standing face-to-face with the WindClan warrior. His blue eyes were searching, as if he was looking for a hidden expression deep within Ratwhisker's gaze. Then, the eyes narrowed, and a _humph _escaped the brown tomcat. Ratwhisker's eyes widened, paralyzed by his opponent's cold look. "Too bad the scrawny rat is small enough to get crushed by my paws." Bearstep growled back. In a blink of an eye, the ShadowClan warrior's left paw lashed out, claws extended.

The large paw hit Ratwhisker on his cheek, the claws curved down to touch the flesh. The points of the claws clung on tight as the paw continued to swipe across the WindClan warrior's face. Three open wounds formed from the curve of Ratwhisker's mouth, up the right cheek, and across the warrior's nose. As blood was beginning to pule from the open wound, the enemy tom let out a screech of surprise. Ratwhisker's head leaned down to block his face, and Bearstep's claws hooked up to end the wound at the WindClan warrior's forehead. After the ShadowClan warrior's paw lifted away, Ratwhisker blindly turned around and began to run. Birchcloud shortly leaped after him, guiding the injured and defeated warrior away from the fight. Bearstep waited until the two warriors were out of sight before helping Scarletberry to her paws.

"Thanks." the ginger she-cat whispered through nervous gasps. Bearstep bent over and licked the blood off of her cheek with his tongue. "It was no big deal. Clanmates look after each other." he simply replied. Scarletberry opened her mouth to speak, but the brown tom had already walked away to help another warrior in need. The ginger warrior's eyes softened on her clanmate as she turned to look away, and suddenly met the mysterious orange eyes of another WindClan warrior.

"Don't you think he's a bit too—loyal?" the WindClan warrior began, flicking his tail toward Bearstep. Scarletberry couldn't help but to stare at the enemy's eyes. They were so strange, so—_orange_. It seemed like its look gave off a feeling of complete trust, though they belonged to a cat from another Clan. When the eyes looked straight at Scarletberry, her thoughts turned from curiosity to fear.

"Are you afraid of me?" the pale golden-pelted tom asked, his orange eyes widening. Scarletberry hung her head down and closed her eyes, forcing herself not to stare any longer. "Yes." she replied in a small whisper. The WindClan warrior's eyes softened with pity. "Though I may not hurt you tonight, I am still your enemy." Scarletberry lifted her chin up to him, only to find the golden tom with his back facing her. He flicked an ear, and added, "Don't you want to know who I am?" Scarletberry felt like she was in danger, but somehow she knew that no harm was going to come to her. The only way she thought could make her safe was by running, yet, her paws could do nothing but tremble. Oh StarClan, Scarletberry thought in panic, Please help me through this!

"My name is Gorseleaf," the pale golden warrior continued, "I came into battle so I could find you." Scarletberry flinched as she was struck with confusion. "Why me?" she asked in a slight stammer. Gorseleaf turned back around, his eyelids closed to cover his eyes from being seen. Though the orange couldn't be identified, Scarletberry could still feel his gaze burning on her as he spoke. "You're good at keeping secrets, even better than the rest of your clanmates. By the words spoken by the Shattered Stars, I was told to give you a prophecy that must not leave your lips."

"What will come if I do tell someone of the prophecy?" Scarletberry inquired. Gorseleaf gave her a hard, dark look. "If the words I say get told to another Clan member, then all four Clans will end in annihilation, including traditions." Scarletberry gaped, her eyes stretched wide in apprehension. As if Gorseleaf could feel her concern, he mewed, "But there is a way to stop it. Are you ready to hear the prophecy?" Scarletberry closed her mouth and looked at her paws with uncertainty. "I—I'm ready." she hesitantly answered. Gorseleaf gave a quick, unnoticeable smirk, and began to speak.

_"__Though the Survival of the Clans was a blessing, War still bounds each to their borders. When peace has settled in for too long, dark feelings begin to arise, and a shadow is born. With each secret and feeling of lonesome, the shadow's powers will burst and bring an old enemy back into existence. The blood of the Clans will no longer run pure after a forbidden love creates a forbidden birth. Clanmates will go against clanmates and Clans against Clans, unless the bone of a lion is sacrificed to seal the shadow away for eternity." _

Gorseleaf's eyes opened as he finished speaking. Scarletberry lifted her chin to examine the WindClan warrior, and saw him facing the battle with a fierce look. "Is something wrong?" she whispered, stepping closer. Gorseleaf flashed a look at her, and instinctively, Scarletberry skidded backwards. The pale golden tom blinked in shock when he saw her, then bowed his head respectively. "N—No," he spluttered, "But it's time for me to go." Scarletberry couldn't help but to look away from him. Taking that as a sign to leave, Gorseleaf began to pad away toward the battle, his movements getting faster and faster. "I will see you again, right?" Scarletberry demanded. The WindClan warrior came to a halt, and after a moment, let his head hang down. "No." he responded. They stood in a moment of silence until Gorseleaf slowly slipped away into the shadows, leaving Scarletberry to think alone. Only did she realize when she looked up, he was gone.

Dark clouds began to gather overhead, and a flash of lightning reflected the faces of the battling warriors. Only the loud echo of thunder made them freeze under the wrath of StarClan. No more stars were visible in the night; the storm was the single thing that kept ShadowClan and WindClan from fighting once again. But as the ShadowClan warriors looked around for their leader to get their orders, they found that Lunarstar was nowhere on the battlefield.

"Where's our leader?!" Bearstep roared, his eyes accusingly fixed on Ivystar. The white she-cat found her sense to glare at the brown tom. "I didn't do anything with him, mouse-brain!" she spat. Bearstep crouched down into a battle position, his tail lashing. Ivystar snarled, preparing to defend herself with unsheathed, blood-stained claws.

"Stop!" Lunarstar shouted at his warriors from the tip of the black crystal. Bearstep, surprised at the appearance of his leader, stepped back obediently. Ivystar gave one last snarl at the brown warrior before looking up at the dark gray tabby above. "Just because you get to stand taller than all of my warriors does not mean you are more superior!" the WindClan leader sneered. A few voices behind her yowled in agreement. Lunarstar ignored her comment, narrowing his eyes into slits. "The battle is over, WindClan. Enough blood has been spilled today, and two deaths is certainly enough for a fight that should have never happened."

"No WindClan warrior has died today!" Ivystar insisted, curling her bottom lip in defiance. Lunarstar turned his head around and leaned forward, obviously gripping something. The ShadowClan leader hauled a lifeless body in front of him, and dropped it at the edge of the black crystal. The body's head hung over the point, its orange eyes lost as it stared at something that wasn't there. Scarletberry almost choked when she recognized the bloody, pale golden fur of Gorseleaf. His mouth was opened slightly with a small stream of blood trickling from the edges. There was a new tear in his left ear and a new wound on the tender skin of his throat. From the appearance of his injuries, there was no doubt about it that he was murdered.

"You—You killed Gorseleaf?" the WindClan leader faltered, staring in horror at the dead body. Lunarstar closed his eyes and bowed his head down sadly. "He slaughtered Mistfang in front of my eyes and then tried to get me next. I had to do it. You do understand, don't you, Ivystar?" Ivystar had her face hidden as she looked down at the ground. Teardrops fell from her eyelids and mixed in the blood below her paws. A wail escaped the she-cat as she flung her head to the sky, her saddened voice getting into the minds of the warriors around her. Scarletberry could feel the WindClan leader's grief as she remembered the golden warrior speaking to her directly. _"Remember the prophecy!" _The ginger warrior clenched her teeth in pain. _Is that what you meant by never seeing me again? Your death? Tell me, Gorseleaf, did you throw your life to waste, or was it all worth it? _

Lunarstar raised a paw and pushed against Gorseleaf's body. With the weight hanging off the side, the WindClan warrior dragged forward, the point of the stone digging into his back as he fell with a sickening thump to the ground. A ginger WindClan warrior padded forward and lifted Gorseleaf onto her back, his blood dripping into her fur. Ivystar watched the she-cat walk past her and out of the ShadowClan camp. The rest of the WindClan warriors followed, including the apprentices. Lunarstar and Ivystar stared at each other with challenging looks. Then, Ivystar turned her back on the ShadowClan leader and followed her Clan without looking back. Once all of WindClan was gone, all of the ShadowClan cats began to gather beneath their leader.

"Mistfang is dead?" a beautiful silver she-cat mewed, her almost clear, blue eyes blinking in surprise. Lunarstar looked longingly back at his den. "He rests within there. Everyone must go and say their last words before we bury him." A small tortoiseshell stood up from the edge of the cats. There was confusion in her green eyes as she caught the attention of her leader. "Aren't we supposed to perform a vigil for Mistfang?" she asked. Lunarstar's hazel eyes darkened. "No. Because this battle and death was not meant to be, Mistfang will not be settled within the ranks of StarClan." Thunder erupted in the air, and several gasps escaped from the ShadowClan cats. Scarletberry felt troubled by her leader's words. _Why can't Mistfang settle in StarClan? He was a quiet, intelligent warrior, and he never did anything wrong. _

"Has anyone seen my kit?" Goldenpool called out as she golden queen withdrew her head from the nursery. The tortoiseshell tilted her head in confusion. "Which one?" she asked, padding over. Goldenpool started to look worried. "The golden one with the amber eyes." The tortoiseshell blinked. "No kitten that young would ever be able to walk out of the nursery alone." Turning back to the crowd of cats, the tortoiseshell yelled, "Has anyone taken Goldenpool's kit out of the nursery?" There were a few muffled whispers, and Lunarstar replied, "No cat has been to the nursery since yesterday."

Scarletberry rose from the crowd and joined the two she-cats by the nursery. The ginger warrior slowly padded inside and poked her nose into Goldenpool's nest. The other golden kit with a white underbelly gave out a squeal when it felt Scarletberry's wet nose touch her flank. "Be careful in there, Scarletberry!" Goldenpool exclaimed. Ignoring the queen's motherly instinct, Scarletberry kept sniffing. To her please, she managed to dig out of the nest a small, hidden clump of bluish-black hair that gave off a satisfying, fresh scent. Walking outside on three legs, the ShadowClan warrior revealed her find to the two she-cats. When Goldenpool sniffed the clump, her amber eyes stretched wide in panic. "WindClan stole my kit!" she howled, alerting all ShadowClan warriors.

"WindClan again?" Lunarstar snarled. Scarletberry could feel her leader's fury as his neck fur began to rise. The silver she-cat below leaped onto a small ledge out of the side of the black crystal and looked up expectantly at Lunarstar. "We should go and get the kit now before dawn arrives." she reminded.

Before the ShadowClan leader could give out any orders, another bolt of lightning lashed down and met the side of a tree. The bark surface exploded into sparks that scattered along the camp floor, sending cats fleeing to their dens. Scarletberry gave in a gasp, and a musky, choking scent went up her nostrils. The ShadowClan warrior couldn't help but to cough. She knew it was definitely smoke. Heat burned against her face when Scarletberry looked up against the ash-filling air to the tree. Fear prickled at her pelt when she recognized the flowing wave of orange and red colors along the side of the black-scorched tree. It was the one thing that only knew how to destroy, and it was an enemy to all four Clans. _Fire!_


	2. Chapter 1 Leaving a Life Behind

**Hi, everyone! My name (as you all can tell), is TheLionBone, and this is my first story/first time joining the site. I absolutely love writing, so I decided to post some of it online for others to read and enjoy. It might take some time to post each separate chapter (mostly because of all the drafting, deleting, and editing), but I will be able to put each parts of the story up one by one. I wasn't able to update the first chapter because I'm settling into a new house. Through some painful moments, I was able to finally finish it, and now I'm working on the second chapter. Please review my story, and if there are any mistakes, I would be happy to know. Thanks for the review, ShiverIntheLight; it made my day. Now, onto the first chapter! **

A white, milky light shined over the peaks of the trees, slowly washing away the shadows that had crept through the night. The sky, previously marking dawn, washed away the orange-red color of the sunrise and brought over it a brilliant shade of blue. No—a too _perfect _shade of blue. Only a few clouds lingered above as they had kept silent watch throughout the night. The shadows, now scattering to the shaded places during the day, restored the grasses and trees to their usual green color. Standing in the middle of the grassy fields was a golden-brown she-cat. She sat on a gray rock pointed out from the hillside just staring into the distance as if something was bound to happen. When the sun came fully up over the horizon, the she-cat's amber eyes began to reflect its lustrous light. By seeing the sun rise, the she-cat felt warmth rise up in her chest and finally, after a long time, felt free.

"Lion!" a faraway voice called out. The she-cat turned her head around to see a brown tabby prancing toward her, his paws barely touching the ground as he ran. When the tabby noticed that her attention was caught, he added, "Dandelion has kitted!" The words struck Lion like claws in her heart. The queen had given birth to a new litter, one that actually came from the queen, unlike Lion. Though their pelts looked nearly the same, Dandelion had admitted herself that Lion had been her foster mother for the past six moons. Lion had begun to wonder where she actually came from; she even asked Dandelion what she knew about her past. But the only answer that Dandelion gave was: "Wherever your real mother is, she probably doesn't care for you." Though it hurt to hear it, Lion couldn't help but to think that it was true. If a mother really cared for her children, then why would she just throw them away?

"She's kitted already?" Lion wanted to sound interested. And to her efforts, it worked. "Three of them." the brown tabby replied, his strange, orange eyes shining in delight. Lion rose to her paws and arched her back into a long stretch. After loosening her muscles from sitting in one position for so long, Lion dug up a mouse she had buried earlier in the morning and picked it up by its tail. Giving the brown tabby a nod to proceed, the two of them walked side-by-side toward a lonely, red barn located at a flat point in the middle of the field.

The barn was very old, close to six-hundred moons, or as some other cats would say it, fifty years. The outside walls were painted with red, but through all of the storms and moons of standing, most of the paint had been rubbed off. Now, the barn looked more like the color white and brown than its original red. The roof was in great shape; the Twolegs matted the roof with square plates that they stuck together into layers. Though some of the plates got loose and was carried off by the wind, there were still no holes that could let a storm inside. The windows were shattered, and not all of the pieces could be located to rebuild it. However, when the Twolegs abandoned the barn, they placed long, thin, covers on the outside for protection. They remembered to close off all entryways, but forgot to close the barn door all the way. Luckily, the space was big enough for cats to get in and out of one at a time. Thus, after Lion and the tabby slipped through the narrow passage, they made way for a red ladder that was the only way to get each of the two floors. And on the top floor lay a pale golden queen and her three, new kits.

"Thank you both so much for helping me." Dandelion purred as she began to devour the mouse in famished bites. Lion only dipped her head respectfully while the brown tabby looked away, clearly embarrassed for being praised.

"Have you chosen names for the kits?" Lion asked, examining the three scraps by the queen's belly. Dandelion raised her head from her meal and gave a small shake of her head. "I was waiting for you and Coco to get back so we could all choose the names." she explained. The two cats stared at the queen in shocked silence.

"You should be the one to decide the names." Coco protested, eyes stretched wide. Lion gazed at her companion, giving him an agreeable nod. Dandelion smiled back at them. "I know that this will be my last litter, but there will be a time you both have to leave the barn. I thought it would be nice to have their names to remember you by." Lion gave the tabby a considering glance. He looked back at her, concerned.

"We'll do it." Lion nudged her friend, reminding him to support her. Orange eyes met challenging amber, and after a few moments, Coco reluctantly nodded his head. "Fine." came the tabby's grumpy response. "Wonderful." Dandelion purred, her eyes lighting up. Lion flicked her tail at Coco, summoning him to follow. They both padded closer to examine the kits, thoughtfully deciding which kit they should name.

A very pale golden she-cat squeaked in alarm when Dandelion pulled her away with a paw while she was suckling. The queen placed the kit down in front of the two, curious visitors. Slowly, the kit's eyes opened, revealing the color of amber. Lion took a step back in astonishment; she had not expected the tiny bundle to look _exactly _like her mother. "I was surprised too." Dandelion admitted, "And because me and her are alike, I've decided to give her a name. Lion, Coco, I'd like you to meet Sandy." The kit looked up at the two cats, and couldn't help but to give out a high-pitched sneeze.

"She's beautiful." Lion purred, bending down to touch noses with Sandy. Coco's whiskers were twitching as he watched the kit's eyes widen when Lion's nose got to close. With a terrified squeal, Sandy retreated to her mother, bounding in between Dandelion's paws for safety. Lion's head rose, looking disappointed by the rejection. Coco smiled and gave a chuckle of amusement. "Don't take it too personally, Lion; she's just not used to you yet." Lion rolled her eyes at him, looking the other way. "I know that already." she muttered, slightly embarrassed.

"Go ahead and choose a kit, Coco." Dandelion encouraged. Coco stepped forward, peering down at the last two kits. By the look in his eyes, Lion could tell that he wasn't just deciding which he would choose for himself, but he was thinking about which one _Lion _would like to pick. When his eyes softened on one of them, Lion knew that he had made up his mind.

"Her name will be Bark because of her brown-colored fur." Coco mewed, pointing to the other she-cat with his tail. Lion didn't expect her friend to choose the one that looked like him. Knowing Coco, he was a tom that found interest in things that didn't belong. He usually pitied others that didn't share specific qualities as most did. The trait that Lion liked most about the tom was that he made others feel good about themselves and take them in as his own family. Just like Lion.

"You get the choose the name for the exotic one." Dandelion interrupted Lion's thoughts. The golden she-cat shook the ruminations out of her head and pulled herself back into reality. She padded closer until she was above the white kit. Her eyes softened on the tiny, defenseless body as she considered a name that would suit the young tom. Lion started to list things that were white in her mind. _Cloud, Bird, Snow, Sky, Mouse, Water, Light...No, none of those. _The she-cat's eyes suddenly widened when she remembered a strange, white material that Twolegs used to scratch the Thunderpaths in Twolegplace. It was perfect; a bizarre-pelted tom with a bizarre name. To Lion, giving the tom this name would make him the special one of the litter. "His name," Lion breathed, "Will be Chalk."

"Chalk? You mean, _Twoleg _chalk?" Coco gasped. Lion froze when she saw the tabby's fear. She didn't foresee any negative feelings to come from hearing the name. In fact, Lion wanted them to _like _the name, for it was as exotic as the kit. "Is it really such a cruel name?" the golden she-cat demanded. Coco narrowed his orange eyes as he let out an angry breath. "We're _cats_ Lion! We don't worship Twolegs, you beetle-brain!" Lion couldn't help but to flinch under her friend's rage. She had never seen this side of the brown tabby before, or have felt so much hatred spark off of his fur. Lion didn't know what his problem was, but she knew that it wasn't good.

"Coco, sheathe your claws." Dandelion spat out the orders. The queen's three kits let out terrified mews as they shuffled closer to their mother's body. Coco's claws slid back into their sockets, and the brown tabby let his tail lash down. "Fine." he snarled through gritted teeth. "Fine. If you wish to name him Chalk, so be it. But if he grows up to become miserable because of it, then I put all of the blame on _you_, Lion!" With that, Coco turned his back to them and stalked toward the ladder. Dandelion dug her claws into the moss beneath her as she yowled back at her son, "Come back here and apologize!" Lion rested her tail on the queen's shoulders to calm her down. "It's okay." she mewed reassuringly, "But what has his fur all ruffled up about Twolegs?"

"His older brother changed because of Twolegs, and it affected Coco badly." Dandelion sighed, comforting her kits with rhythmic strokes of her tongue. Lion sat down, her ears pricked up with interest. "I thought Coco was the only one in his litter." she tilted her head in confusion. Dandelion looked up, sadness bagging her eyes. "You are correct; he was the only one in my second litter as was his older brother in my first." Lion couldn't meet the depressed eyes of the queen. "Oh." was all she could say.

"Do not grieve for me, young one." Dandelion murmured, looking back down at her kits. "I still have three, new, beautiful children that I can call my own. However, their father will not be here to take care of them; only I will." Lion could remember the queen's restless nights of misery for the loss of her kit and mate. She never recalled a time that Dandelion was...well, happy.

"Is your son's name still going to be Chalk?" Lion asked, trying to change the subject. Dandelion's amber gaze swept to her white kit as the little tom began to crawl onto the queen's back. Her eyes softened on the delicate scrap, and she gave it a quick lick on its forehead. "I said before that I wanted you and Coco to name one kit. You said that his name should be Chalk, so then it will be." Lion smiled when she heard the queen's words. After hearing Coco's opinion on the name, it felt good to know that Dandelion approved of her choice. To thank her, Lion gave Dandelion a loving lick on the cheek. She then padded away from the queen's side and went swiftly toward the ladder, looking down to see if there were any signs of Coco. When there weren't, Lion's face drooped with disappointment.

"I'm going to go and find your son." Lion called back to Dandelion, and the pale golden she-cat acknowledged her with a flick of her tail. Taking that as a sign of dismissal, Lion made her way down the wooden steps of the ladder and out of the barn door into the humid air.

Lion caught a whiff of Coco's scent leading down the hill and toward the woodlands. She looked out into the distance and found the brown tabby lingering near a stream that ran through the field and into the forest. His head was hunkered down as he stared at his reflection through his orange eyes. The tabby's long, thin tail wrapped around his front paws and hung over the edge of the bank above the water. With ears against his head, Lion could tell that he was depressed of something that happened. Guiltily, she thought of Chalk and decided that she would apologize for the name. With her head hanging, Lion slowly padded down the hill. When she came to face him, Lion found Coco's back turned to her; he had not heard her approach.

"Hey." Lion called to him. Coco jumped, flinging his head around to see who had frightened him. When his eyes lay on Lion, his pupils thinned and he gasped. "Wh—What are you doing here?!" he demanded. Lion looked away from his wide, orange eyes. "I came to apologize for Chalk's name. I didn't realize that it would hurt you so much." she confessed. Coco looked to the left, then the right as if he were searching for something that would arrive any moment. Slowly, he leaned close to Lion's face, darkness shadowing his eyes as he spoke. "Listen closely, okay? I'm leaving the barn-" "What?!" Lion interrupted, her fur standing on end. "What do you mean, 'leaving the barn?!' Are we not good enough for you or something?"

"Would you please _listen_!" Coco hissed angrily, his ears flat against his head. "I was just getting to that!" Lion let out a _huff _of disapproval. Slowly, she dropped her hindquarters to the ground and wrapped her tail around her paws. Staring straight into Coco's eyes, she mewed back, "Continue."

"As I was saying," Coco growled, narrowing his eyes, "I'm leaving the barn to join a Clan that lives at the edge of these woods. If you're wondering how they're going to let me join, I have been speaking to the Clan leader's daughter at night and discussing about what to do. She spoke with her father, and though she got punished, I was allowed to join. They said to come within the next few days, so I've decided to leave today rather than wait."

"That's such a good plan," Lion mumbled, "But what about your family? _Why _are you leaving?" Coco began to bite his bottom lip while he twitched his whiskers in anxiety. "I—I've been having a hard time living here since my brother left to go live in the Clans. I was walking him out to the forest for his last night, and he told me, 'Coco, appreciate the life that you have because it is a good one. One day, you will look ahead of you and find a path that will lead to paradise. That path will be your destiny, wherever it may be, so be sure to follow your heart to find it.' And with that said...he left. Through the passing moons, I've realized that living in the barn has not proven that it is where my life should be. I now know that like my brother, I have to go into the forest to find my own destiny: my path to paradise. _That _is why I'm leaving."

"If I may ask, how did the Twolegs drive your brother into the forest?" Lion asked. Coco's eyes closed, seeming very nostalgic. Then, they slowly opened, revealing grief. "The Twolegs' kits used to come into the barn and pound sticks along the walls. Of course, that was before you came to be raised in the barn. But when the Twoleg kits were here, they became even more bold and decided to poke _us _with sticks. I was a kit back then, and Dandelion was outside looking for food when the incident happened. The kits started to go after me with their sticks, and my brother protected me by taking the painful jabs to his side. He got so enraged with the Twolegs that he started to attack them. We never saw the kits again after that, so we guessed that the fight was over. We were wrong."

"What happened?" Lion whispered, quivering from the dark tone of the story. Coco looked away. "A big Twoleg appeared while we weren't looking, and kicked my brother until he couldn't stand. I found him after the Twoleg had gone, and there was blood everywhere. It was as if the Twoleg was trying to _kill _him, and for what reason? After his wounds had healed, my brother wanted nothing to do with a soft life like living in a barn. As he put it, 'Laziness is a sign of weakness unless you know how to fight for yourself.' His wounds had left a scar on his shoulder, something that he would never forget in a heartbeat. A moon later, on his sixth moon, my brother set out to live with the Clan cats, and I never saw his face again. Now I plan to do the same."

"Is this really what you want?" Lion questioned, raising her eyes at him. Coco didn't look back at his friend. "Yes." he replied. The she-cat clenched her jaw, and took a hesitant step backwards to give the tabby more room. With a respectful bow of her head, she told him, "Then I will do nothing to stop you."

"Excuse me? Did I hear you correctly?" Coco's head whipped upwards in shock. He stared at his friend, wide-eyed. "You're _not_, going to stop me?" Lion gave a small nod of her head. "That is correct." Coco closed his mouth, looking uncertain and both confused. He raised a paw to touch Lion's paw, but she swatted it away. Being rejected by his own family, Coco stood to his paws and turned toward the forest. At the same time, the ferns rustled and a black she-cat jumped out to greet him.

"Hi!" the black she-cat exclaimed, her eyes shining. Coco immediately smiled at her, brushing his fur with hers. "I've missed you." he cooed in her ear. The she-cat batted at his ears playfully, then stopped when she noticed Lion standing behind the tabby. She drew back, and sat down. "Who is—she?"

"Her?" Coco glanced over his shoulder at Lion. The golden-brown she-cat was paralyzed when she saw the raging, narrowed eyes of her former best friend. His tail lashed as he answered darkly, "She's nobody important." Lion curled her lips back into a snarl.

"Get off my territory before I _chase _you out!" the golden she-cat threatened, fur bristling. The black she-cat's claws unsheathed, but Coco placed a paw on them before she could move. "Don't worry about her. Let's focus on getting back to your camp—no..._our _camp." Lion felt jealousy rise her chest as the two cats' tails intertwined with each other while they began to walk. The last Lion saw of Coco was a cold, orange glare fixed on her as his brown tabby fur vanished into the cold depths of the dark forest.

Later that night, Lion was in her bed while she watched the kits finish playing for the night. In the evening, each of them had opened their eyes and were excited to explore the top floor of the barn with their mother. Lion had taken her mind off of Coco's departure by watching them and their curious, wide eyes. What she found fascinating was that to the kits, looking at the top floor of the barn was like looking at the whole world around them.

"When I grow up, I'm going to be like my older sister!" Chalk exclaimed, his green eyes blazing in enthusiasm. With his tail straight up into the air, the white kit gave a little hop and a skip toward his littermates, swatting at them playfully. Dandelion rose her head from her paws, perplexed by what her kit had said. "What are you talking about, Chalk? You don't even _have _an older sister." Chalk looked up from his play-fight, tilting his head to the side. "I'm talking about Lion! She _is _my sister, right?" Dandelion let her head drop to hide her face. "I—I'm sorry for the confusion, Chalk. But Lion is not your older sister. The only family you have are your older b—brothers and littermates."

"Where _are _my brothers?" Chalk asked. Lion could see tears begin to fall from the queen's eyes. "They're not here. That's where." she meowed darkly. Dandelion suddenly stood up and began scooping up her kits with her paws. "Hey!" Sandy squealed as a paw pushed her off balance and sent her falling to the ground. Dandelion raised her tail at them, causing the three kits to sit upright in front of her. "It's time for bed, and that's final. If I hear one more peep escape from any of you, then tomorrow there will be no more exploring and no more playing, understand?" Sandy, Bark, and Chalk lowered their heads in shame. "Yes ma'am." they all murmured sadly, disappointed to loose such valuable time to themselves. "That's what I thought, now follow me." Dandelion instructed, flicking her tail in their direction.

_Why does Coco want to leave a life like this behind? _Lion thought silently while she watched the three kits cuddle in with their mother. She didn't understand while living with his family was such a burden on his shoulders. Sure his older brother got beaten up by a Twoleg, but there have been no signs of the Twolegs since the incident. Maybe there might be a path waiting for Coco in the forest, but did his life always reflect upon his older brother? More importantly, what _happened _to his older brother?

"Lion?" Dandelion's voice whispered from across the barn. Lion looked up to see the pale golden queen staring at her with troubled eyes. "D—Did Coco say anything before he left?" Lion could remember Coco's explanation on why he had to leave the barn, something about finding his own destiny like his brother had said. He also explained the Twoleg story that drove his brother into first going to live with the wild cats in the woodlands. And out of all that, he had done nothing about farewells but only say 'goodbye' once. Lion could already feel Dandelion's sorrow with every memory of her second son, and his decision to run away. It would be better not to tell her the truth, or at the least the _whole _truth. "Yes," Lion answered, "And whatever drove him to go was not because of you."

Hurt pounded in Lion's chest as she heard the soft weeping of the broken mother, one that had lost her first two sons when they were at the age of six moons. Dandelion's cries echoed along the lonely walls of the barn, and slithered into Lion's head. The dreadful sound repeated in Lion's ears, causing them to twitch with irritation. She eventually laid her head down on her paws again and forced herself to close her eyes. At last, the queen's tears of pain brought Lion to sleep for the night.

When Lion's eyes opened, she found herself unable to move. Though she struggled to get to her paws, her muscles were weak and wouldn't cooperate. Out of the mistiness in the air, a silver cat padded forward, gleaming hazel eyes reflecting in the fog. He stopped, placing a long pair of claws again Lion's shoulder and sending a beam of energy through her body. With a jolt, Lion rose her head, feeling a kink tighten in her neck. While she winced in pain, the silvery cat gave an annoyed sniff.

"What's a barn cat like you doing in a place like this?" the stranger growled, unsheathing his claws. Lion stretched out her neck, feeling an assuaging pop to where the kink was. Glaring at the silver cat, she snarled back, "Why are you helping such a defenseless barn cat like me?"

"I will be asking the questions." the tom insisted, baring his teeth. Lion flinched when she saw the perfectly, pointed fangs curved out from his gums. They seemed to shiny, yet so deadly. In the mysterious light, it looked as if his teeth were a glittering shade of mist rather than the usual yellow-white color of a feline. Lion felt as if she could trust the tom if she had to, but somehow felt in danger being around him. In conclusion, she didn't know what to think of him.

"Do you like my deadly bite?" the silver cat sneered, his tail swinging side to side. Lion tried to smile, but it came out as a nervous scowl. "They're...uh...nice." she managed to reply. The tom's nose and whiskers began to twitch. "My ancestors named me after my teeth because that's what keeps me alive. I bet you're wondering what my name is." Lion gave an unhurried dip of her head. "Mistfang is my warrior name, and the name that I died with." the tom explained, flicking his tail in dismissal. The silver cat started to walk away.

"Wait!" Lion called out. Mistfang looked over his shoulder at her. "What do you want?" he demanded coldly. Lion paused, not expecting to get his attention. "D—Do you perhaps know of the Clans that live in the forest?" There was a long wait of silence. Then, Mistfang spat, "Yes, and that isn't anything to be proud about!" Without warning, a bright light blinded Lion, pulling her away from the silvery cat. She began to thrash, trying to fight her way back into the misty grounds where she had met the stranger. "Wait! I'm not done talking to you yet!" her wail drifted off into nothingness.

Lion awoke from her dream with a start. When she looked up, she was in the grassy fields around the barn with her eyes turned toward the forest. The she-cat sighed, hanging her head down in failure; it was her one chance to find out more about these wild cats, and now the opportunity was ruined. But something reminded her that even if she was able to stay in the misty grounds a bit longer, Mistfang wouldn't have given her the information that she wanted. His stubborn attitude proved that.

A glimpse of dark gray was caught in the corner of Lion's eyes. She stared outward toward the forest and found a large, dark gray tabby tom standing at the edge of the woodlands. He was looking back at her with hazel eyes that were similar to those of Mistfang's. His pupils were eyeing her with a challenging, cold look as if to say, "What are you going to do about me?" Lion could see even from at the top of the hill that the tabby was very muscular; his muscles rippled underneath his short-haired pelt whenever he moved. Lion knew that by the tabby's powerful body that he could beat her in one swipe of his paw, but Dandelion's words echoed in her head when she mewed, "One shouldn't judge another by their looks." Though the chances were against her, Lion got to her paws and made her way down the hillside toward the tabby. She became excited when she thought of the possibilities of the large tom being a wild cat from the Clans. There were so many questions she wanted to ask him, like the upsides to living with in a large group. Lion wanted to learn _everything _about the Clans because part of her family had left to experience it. Maybe...Lion hoped to experience it too.

"Not a lot of cats are willing to greet someone from the outside." the tabby commented, sweeping his thin tail across the ground. Lion stopped in front of the stranger, respectively bowing her head. She could feel the tabby's hazel eyes lay right on her, and knowing that sent a shiver running down her spine. "I—I wanted to ask you several questions." she told him, raising her head to meet his gaze. The muscular tom raised an eye. "I might be able to answer them." he replied, his whiskers twitching in amusement. Lion's ears turned hot with embarrassment as she tried to stand up tall in front of him. If he was going to look proud, then so would she.

"Do you belong to the Clans that live in the forest?" Lion asked, tilting her head slightly to the side. The tabby gave a dip of his head. "Yes, and I am also one of the four leaders." he added, his eyes smiling at the she-cat's astonishment. "T—Then you've experienced everything about Clan life?" Lion stammered, her eyes widening. The tom paused, pondering the thought. "I guess you could say that. I was born in the Clan as a kit and trained as an apprentice. I was given the name of a warrior and given a chance to be a mentor. Then, I was given the position as deputy. Soon after, I took upon the responsibility of a leader. That does involve a lot of Clan traditions."

"Tell me about the traditions! I want to know it _all_!" Lion exclaimed, her tail sticking straight up into the air. The tomcat purred, his cheeks rising into a smile. "I've never had an outsider that is so interested in our way of life. But before we start, I would like to tell you that my name is Lunarstar, leader of ShadowClan." Lion gave an excited hop. "What are the names of all of the Clans? Are there positions rather than warriors? Do outsiders usually come into the Clan? Do the Clans live separately or together?" Questions began to pour out of the she-cat's mouth. "Listen closely, and I will tell you everything from the beginning." Lunarstar mewed, motioning her down with a lowering paw.

"The history of the Clans first began when a large group of cats fought each other constantly with no law to keep them in place. Their ancestors could see nothing but trouble in the future, so they forced them to unite or perish. Thus, the four Clans of the forest began as ThunderClan, ShadowClan, RiverClan, and WindClan..." the tabby continued on with his speech until sunset arrived. By that time, Lion had learned all of the Clan's special traditions, ceremonies, and gatherings. She knew what it meant to train to become a full warrior of a Clan and help to strengthen her clanmates. The responsibilities weren't hard to learn at all: follow the warrior code. Through the little time that the two cats had together, Lion had the knowledge of a kit at the age of an apprentice.

"You catch on quickly, and I was glad to share with you what I know." Lunarstar gave Lion a quick lick on her ear. Lion smiled back at him, pleased on what she had learned. The dark gray tabby pushed himself onto his paws and stared out into the forest. His ear flicked before he looked back at the golden-brown she-cat. "It makes me happy to see you content, but are you comfortable with the life you're living now?"

"What do you mean?" Lion was perplexed. "Do you like being a barn cat?" Lunarstar rephrased. Lion tried hard to read what he was feeling through his eyes, but she found no clear expression within the hazel color. Though she didn't know how the tabby felt, she knew how she was doing. Being a barn cat was fun, especially being raised with Coco throughout the moons. But ever since Coco decided to leave, life was looking gray. Lion never found any fun in just sitting around, daydreaming, and hunting for her family. Watching kits was fascinating, but it was never exciting like before. To Lion, the life she was living now was...lonely. Thinking about disliking the life made Lion guilty; what would Dandelion think if she saw her adopted daughter now?

"I have been watching you as I pass by your fields. Your mother just had kits and needs help to take care of them. You're the only one around to get her what she wants." Lunarstar mewed, a touch of sadness in his voice. His eyes were worried as he looked back at the she-cat. "You're afraid of leaving because it would break her heart again. Not only that, but she would be left alone to fend for herself." Lion clenched her teeth, not wanting to talk about it. When Lunarstar saw her stress, he wrapped his tail around her as comfort. He pressed close to her side and soothed her with soft murmurs. Lion closed her eyes, tears beginning to stream out of them. "Sh—She's not my mother." she whispered to him. Lunarstar's ears pricked up in surprise. "The queen did not give birth to you?" he asked. Lion gave an unsteady nod of her head. "I was brought to her by her mate when I was a kit. He said that there was a fire in the forest and told her to take care of me. Afterwards, he left to go help the cats that lived in the forest and died trying. I lived in the barn ever since."

"That was six moons ago, wasn't it?" Lunarstar breathed, flashing a glance back at the she-cat. Lion gave another nod of her head. "Yes, and my foster mother didn't tell me any more." The dark gray tabby drew away from Lion and padded to the edge of the woods. His tail flicked behind him as if he were conflicted. "I may know what you are, but I will not reveal the truth until my last breath." he mewed, looking back at the she-cat through the corner of his eye. Lion didn't know what he meant, but she didn't want to ask more of it. Instead, she padded forward to the tabby's side. "So, what now?" she asked, staring out into the darkness of the forest. Lunarstar smirked. "I go back to my Clan; they're probably wondering where I've been."

"Will I see you again tomorrow?" Lion requested, her eyes pleading. Lunarstar closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh. "I know that you want to learn more of my history, but I'm afraid I can't leave my Clan to cope alone. They need me." he reminded. Lion's ears went flat against her head as he looked down at her paws sadly. She really enjoyed listening to the tabby speak, and she wished she could hear more of it. Lunarstar nudged her, and Lion instantly stood up straight. When she looked over at the Clan leader, his hazel eyes were beaming.

"I now realize that you wish to learn more than you know now, and I have a question to ask you." Lunarstar told her, standing up as tall as he could in front of her. Lion turned her eyes up to him just as she setting sun shined a bright ray of light on the two of them. Lunarstar's gray tabby pelt turned into a beautiful shade of red and gold as he bellowed, "Lion, I would like you to join ShadowClan. Do you accept?" Lion gaped and couldn't help but to let in a gasp.

Many thoughts began to whirl through Lion's head as she tried to get control of herself. She thought of her life at the barn and spending the evenings chatting with Dandelion. An image of the three, beautiful kits popped into her mind as they played and giggled together. Coco suddenly jumped into the frame, smiling at her with his sweet, orange eyes. But when the black she-cat jumped in after him, his smile turned into a scowl, and the two of them walked away side-by-side. Lion could see herself standing in the midst of darkness, looking around for someone to be at her side. A ghostly figure of Mistfang walked into view, and his hazel eyes narrowed on her. When Lion turned around to look at him, he disappeared. Then came the information about Clan life. Lion stood with Lunarstar, chatting about rituals and how life in the wild can be dangerous, but supportive with friends at your side. The view of the setting sun came to mind, and Lion found herself back into reality staring at Lunarstar himself. There was another long pause between them, and the setting sun turned hot red as it began to fade. As the shadows slid out from their hiding places to settle in the night, Lion's whisper echoed in all ears as she murmured, "Yes."


	3. Chapter 2 An Unexpected Visit

**Before I go on about the story, I would first like to thank NanoApocolypse for reviewing! You guys make me so happy ^-^ Now that the second chapter is complete, I'll be getting to work on chapter three. If there are any questions about the story, don't hesitate to ask. Onto the next chapter, and enjoy! **

Lion closed her mouth when she heard the word slip out of her mouth. It was a choice she had always wanted, but she had not thought about Dandelion or her kits. She now was going to break the queen's heart yet again and have to take the blame of it all. Lion's anxiety caused her to tremble and collapse to the ground. Lunarstar padded to her side, lifting her chin up with his forehead. His soothing tone calmed Lion, and forced her to relax.

"You shouldn't feel so guilty about the choice you've made, Lion." Lunarstar told her, "Your foster mother will find someone else to take care of her; I'll make sure of that." Lion's eyes stretched wide as she looked up at the ShadowClan leader. "H—How are you planning to do that?" she stammered, trying to hold back the rest of her tears. Lunarstar pointed with his tail into the forest. "I know a loner that lives at the edge of my territory. I'm sure he would be grateful to have an extra friend by his side, so I'll send him the queen's way." Lion gave the tom a weak smile of gratitude. "Thank you so much." she whispered thankfully. Lunarstar bent down and licked away the tears from her cheeks. "Don't worry about it."

A distant hoot of a howl caused both of their heads to turn to the forest. Feathers scattered above their heads as the brown bird took flight into the night sky. Lion shuddered when she saw the owl's sharp, pointed beak and terrible talons; she was afraid of what it would feel like to be carried away by such a dangerous predator. Lunarstar stared at the owl and watched it until it flew out of sight. His hazel eyes narrowed and he gave out an annoyed snort. "We'll have to watch out for _that_. Several seasons ago, we lost a kit to them, and I'd hate to have it happen again." The dark tabby padded forward, crossing the border into the woodland. His tail flicked behind him, summoning Lion to follow. Taking one last glance over her shoulder at the barn, Lion hesitantly followed the ShadowClan leader into the forest.

The forest was surprisingly amazing to Lion. The part of the woods ShadowClan lived in were inhabited by lush greenery of bracken, pine trees, willows, and ferns. In the dark, shaded parts of the tree roots there grew mushrooms and toadstools. Some of the fungi were poisonous, which came as an attracted, golden color. Others were just a pale gray, which was safe in circumstances to eat and to carry. By Lion could see, most of the trees she had passed were pines, but in the large clearings there were several willows. Pine needles rested at ground-level over the black-brown soil. Lion found it very uncomfortable to walk on them, but she knew that her pads would harden and get used to the prickly sensation. The ground below their paws was hardened though there were a few soft areas, especially around the tree roots. When living in the pine trees, the sky was more visible than the lands where ThunderClan lived. Lion was excited for her new life to begin.

In the corner of Lion's eye, she noticed a squirrel sniffing along the roots of a pine tree nearby. By instinct, Lion pressed herself to the ground and slowly began to creep forward. Lunarstar watched, his whiskers twitching in anticipation. Lion was about a fox-length away from the squirrel and reared back to leap. But before she could do anything else, a gray tomcat appeared out of the shadows and gripped the squirrel in his jaws. With a quick bite, the squirrel hung lifelessly from his mouth. Lion raised her head from her crouch, her amber eyes widening at the sight of another wild cat. When the gray tom noticed her, he dropped the squirrel to the ground and curled his lips back into a menacing snarl.

"Mousenose, it's alright! She's no threat!" Lunarstar yowled, running out from behind a pile of ferns. The gray tom's fur rose from the unexpected sound, then lay flat when he noticed the tabby come out from hiding. He let out a relieving sigh, then anger flashed in his dark, blue eyes. "Where have you been?!" he demanded, facing the ShadowClan leader. Lunarstar stopped beside Lion, giving back the tom an apologizing look. "I met this young cat in the fields at the edge of our forest. She was interested in our way of life, so I told her everything about it. Because of her curiosity, I've let her join our Clan."

"Excuse me?" Mousenose nearly choked out the words, "I know you're Clan leader, but are you mouse-brained? The Clan will never accept her, no matter how good her skills are!" Lunarstar rose his chin up so he was looking down at the warrior. "They will have to live with it. My word is law, and that is final." Mousenose opened his mouth to argue, but quickly closed it. Knowing that he lost, he hung his head down and muttered, "Yes, Lunarstar." The ShadowClan leader gave him an acknowledged nod. "Good. Take the squirrel back to camp and tell them of our arrival. We will be there shortly." Mousenose bent down and picked up his fresh-kill by its neck. Turning his back to the two cats, he charged for the nearest clump of bracken and leaped through it. The leaves rustled for a moment before they were still.

"Was that one of your warriors?" Lion asked, looking up at Lunarstar. The ShadowClan leader closed his eyes, letting out a troubled sigh. "I'm afraid yes, and one the seniors. If he doesn't agree with your stay, then we're going to have more of a challenge accepting you into the Clan." Lion gave him a nod of understanding, then pressed against his foreleg with her cheek. "I thank you for all that you're doing for me. Really." she whispered. Lunarstar purred, giving her back a sweet smile. "It's my pleasure. Now, are you ready to meet your clanmates?" Lion's eyes brightened. "Yes, I'm ready." With a silent command, Lion followed Lunarstar into the bracken where Mousenose first disappeared.

After several minutes deeper into the forest, the two cats came across a ravine. It sloped downward into a hole that disappeared underneath the roots of a large willow tree. With the moon's light glistening through the willow's leaves, the path in front of Lion looked like a road of silver. They padded down the steep path until they were underneath the tree's draping roots. In front of them were large clumps if false indigo bushes that grew from the ground and covered the dirt walls. Lunarstar came forward, lifting up the bush with one paw to reveal a hidden passage. His hazel eyes turned toward Lion, and he gave her a nod. "Go on ahead; I'm right behind you."

Lion was cautious when she slipped through the secret entrance. She carefully crawled through the narrow space, keeping her eyes locked on the light ahead of her. Just as she was about three mouse-lengths away from the end of the tunnel, she stopped. Taking a deep breath in, the she-cat pulled herself through the wide opening and found herself inside a large ditch.

"Intruder!" came a shout. Wild cats slithered out of the shaded grounds and into the clearing. Lion froze when she saw the cats' unsheathed claws and glistening teeth as they stationed themselves for battle. In the midst of the crowd, Lion could see Mousenose standing up tall with his tail lashing. His dark blue eyes were looking cold enough to make Lion flinch with terror. Before the cats could lay their claws on her, Lunarstar leaped out of the entrance, his hazel eyes blazing. "Enough!" came his angry call. In an instant, each ShadowClan cat sheathed their claws and looked at their leader in shock.

"Mousenose!" Lunarstar snarled, his eyes searching for the gray tom. Mousenose scowled, padding forward so he was in front of all the warriors and apprentices. Lion could feel no guilt sparking off his fur, but saw a look in his eyes that showed he was ready for another argument. Lunarstar unsheathed one pair of his claws and rose it into the air. "I told you my word, and my word is law. You disobeyed my orders, and now you must be punished." Mousenose hung his head down, his eyes still glaring at his leader. "Yes, Lunarstar." Lion felt a knot tighten in her stomach as she stared at Lunarstar. She had never imagined the large tabby to give any cat a punishment, but then again he _was _the ShadowClan's leader. If he didn't put charge, then someone would take his place.

"I can't punish you by mentoring this young cat, because you already have Whitepaw to teach," Lunarstar though out loud, "But you do pride in the power you have as a senior warrior." Mousenose rose his head, staring straight into his leader's eyes with a look of concern. "I—I don't know where you're heading with this." he mewed. Lunarstar gave out a low growl. "I don't see any better of a punishment then having you become an apprentice again."

"What?!" Mousenose exclaimed, taking a step back. "Lunarstar, that's too much of a punishment!" Lunarstar raised an eye at him. "Really? Because I see it as a perfect opportunity to realize that you're a warrior, not a leader." Mousenose once again knew that this was an argument already won, and he had to take the punishment. Lunarstar lashed out a curved claw, sending it across the gray warrior's ear. The thin skin tore, creating a cut from the edge of his ear to the middle. Mousenose clenched his teeth in pain as blood dripped down and stained the ground. A small tortoiseshell began to approach the tom with herbs in her mouth, but Lunarstar flicked his tail at her to stand still. Finishing the punishment, Lunarstar yowled to the warriors, "Mousenose will be stuck as an apprentice for a full moon. Until then, everyone must call him Mousepaw. Since Whitepaw is without a mentor, Coalfur will replace Mousenose's position."

"I accept my punishment, Lunarstar." Mousenose muttered, flicking his ear in irritation. With a sweep of Lunarstar's tail, the tortoiseshell came forward and led the gray tom away to a den in the back of the ditch. As Mousenose walked by, a black warrior mocked him saying, "Have fun in the medicine den, Mouse_paw_!" Mousenose gave out a hiss of annoyance before disappearing into the den with a lash of his tail. All eyes turned back to Lunarstar who was making his way to the back of the camp with Lion at his side. They came up to a large, black crystal that came from out of the ground. Lunarstar walked up to the tip of the crystal, standing above all of his warriors. Lion timidly came up next to him, looking nervously at all of the cats below her. Clearing his voice, the ShadowClan leader spoke again.

"You all may have been wondering where I was today. While I was bordering our territory, I came across this young cat that was curious about our traditions and ways of living. After teaching her all that I knew about the Clans, I have allowed her to join our Clan." There was a moment of silence until angry yowls began to fill the clearing. Most of the warriors unsheathed their claws and lashed their tails in disagreement. Lion flinched from the feeling of hate that the ShadowClan cats showed her. She felt that wherever she looked, there was always a pair of glistening eyes that gave a cold glare. But when Lion came eye-to-eye with a pair of bright, amber eyes, she was surprised to find calmness and a look of interest. As Lion looked at the rest of the cat, she found that the amber eyes belonged to a ginger she-cat.

"Lunarstar, I disagree with your choice!" a silver she-cat exclaimed, leaping onto a ledge below the tip of the crystal. Lunarstar's hazel eyes rested on her and narrowed. "Moonshine, my deputy, why do you go against my decision?" he demanded coldly. Moonshine flicked her tail to silence the rest of the yowling warriors, drawing all attention to her. When Lion's attention was on the deputy, she was amazed to find herself drawn to Moonshine's eyes. The color of the silver warrior's eyes was such a light shade of blue that they were almost clear. Lion thought that the color was beautiful, and immediately felt respect for the warrior. Though Moonshine was against her presence in the Clan, Lion still admired the deputy.

"Have you forgotten what Clan we are?" Moonshine asked back, raising an eye at the dark gray tabby. Lunarstar lowered his gaze, staring straight into the deputy's eyes. Lion could see that he was interested in her opinion, but at the same time felt betrayed by her because she was judging him. "We are ShadowClan." Lunarstar simply replied. Moonshine gave him a nod. "Yes," she mewed, "And ShadowClan's pride will be destroyed if the other Clans find out we've let in an outsider."

"Then the Clans can go and choke on a bone!" the ginger she-cat from before exclaimed, getting to her paws. Moonshine turned her head around to look at the warrior. There was anxiety in her light gaze as she calmly answered, "It is not your place to speak, Scarletberry." Lion looked up at Lunarstar, expecting him to be furious. But the ShadowClan leader showed no signs of anger; he was in shock for seeing one of his warriors backing him up. Knowing that he wasn't going to speak just yet, Lion turned back to Scarletberry, who was still arguing with the deputy.

"Our Clan can make our own decisions, and the other Clans should not be involved!" Scarletberry insisted, her eyes determined. Moonshine rose her tail to silence the warrior. "But we need to show the other Clans that we are not weak, or they will take the advantage to attack!" Scarletberry rolled her eyes at the silver warrior, twitching her whiskers mockingly. "How can you be so blind about this, Moonshine? You're the deputy!" Moonshine froze, struck by the ShadowClan warrior's comment. "What are you playing at?" she demanded, her ears twitching in annoyance.

"Won't we be _prepared_ to face the other Clans? We're being given an extra warrior if she comes into the Clan! ShadowClan won't be weak; ShadowClan will be strong!" Scarletberry yelled out her final words. The other ShadowClan warriors paused, pondering the thought. After a few moments of complete silence, a slim, brown tom padded to Scarletberry's side. He looked up at Moonshine and bowed his head respectively. "I know that you are the deputy, but I have to agree with Scarletberry. I want this newcomer to join ShadowClan." Lion let in a silent gasp. She was coming to believe that she would never live in the Clan when Moonshine disagreed, but now her hopes were rising.

"I wish her to join as well!" another silver she-cat called out. A white tom with ginger paws smiled as he rose to his paws as well. "I want her to train with us!" he added. Instantly, a white she-cat shouted, "I too want her in our den!" More and more ShadowClan cats raised their voices, telling the deputy that they wanted Lion to join. Lion smiled, thankful for all of the support the warriors and apprentices were giving her. Her amber eyes gazed down at Moonshine, wondering how the silver warrior was reacting. As Lion had guessed, the deputy was staring at her clanmates in astonishment. At the beginning of the meeting, all odds had turned against Lunarstar's choice of letting Lion into the Clan. But now that most of the Clan agreed, Moonshine had lost the fight, and Lion was allowed to train as a warrior.

"If the Clan agrees, then I have no choice but to accept." Moonshine murmured, bending her head down. Lunarstar bowed his head back to dismiss his deputy, and the silver warrior padded back into the crowd of warriors. As Moonshine padded past the ShadowClan cats, they murmured in her ear and licked her cheek with comfort. They waited until the deputy sat down before they could begin the ceremony. Lunarstar's eyes shined in excitement as he threw his chin up toward the star-lit sky.

"I, Lunarstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look upon this kit. Though she comes from outside our bloodline, please accept her as she becomes an apprentice. Lion, do you wish to train to become a warrior of ShadowClan?"

"Yes." Lion answered, making sure her voice was heard throughout the entire camp. Lunarstar smiled in pride at the young she-cat. His eyes closed as he finished the ceremony. "Then by the power of StarClan, you shall no longer be known as Lion. From now on, you shall be known as Lionpaw until you receive your warrior name. I will decide your mentor later, but for now, you shall share the apprentice's mentors." Lionpaw licked Lunarstar's shoulder thankfully as the ShadowClan cats called out her new name. "Lionpaw! Lionpaw! Lionpaw!"

"I would like the all of the warriors and apprentices to get some good sleep tonight, because we will be doing some hard work in the morning. I will leave Moonshine to give out all the duties, but for now, I would like the apprentices to show Lionpaw to her new den. That will be all." Lunarstar added before padding away from the tip of the black crystal. Lionpaw watched the ShadowClan leader slip into the hidden cave of his den. Once his tail disappeared, Lionpaw padded down the side of the crystal and to the apprentices that were waiting for her. She was afraid as she came closer and closer to the young cats because Lionpaw didn't know what to expect from them. All she hoped was that they would accept her as part of the Clan.

"Hey there, Lionpaw!" a brown she-cat with ginger stripes meowed a greeting, flicking her tail in welcome. Lionpaw gave out a weak, nervous smile. "I'm Rowanpaw, and this is my brother, Thistlepaw, and my sister, Fernpaw." the brown apprentice continued, pointing to a silver tom and dark gray she-cat. As Rowanpaw said this, three more cats came up to them. One was a white tom with ginger paws, another was a white she-cat, and the last one was a golden she-cat with a white underbelly. Lionpaw suddenly became shy at all of the cats around her. "You know me already." she whispered quietly. Rowanpaw blinked in confusion.

"There's no need to be scared; we won't hurt you. In fact, we're excited to have you here with us." Rowanpaw sounded enthusiastic. Lionpaw looked up to stare straight into the brown she-cat's amber eyes. To her relief, the apprentice's eyes were sincere about what she said. Lionpaw smiled.

"We're the older apprentices of the den, and we're going to become warriors soon." the white tom butted in, puffing out his chest with pride. The white she-cat let out a purr of amusement. "This stupid furball is Patchpaw, and I'm Whitepaw." she quickly explained. Lionpaw looked at the golden she-cat, expecting her to say something, but she remained silent. There was a longing look in her green eyes as she turned her back to the group and padded away. Lionpaw stared after her, wondering if she did something wrong.

"Don't mind Griffonpaw," Rowanpaw reassured the new apprentice, "She's probably nostalgic right now. It happened ever since she became the only kit in her litter." Lion didn't respond.

"We better do what Griffonpaw is doing and get inside the den." Whitepaw suggested, glancing warily at the warriors staring at them. Rowanpaw followed the older apprentice's gaze, and quickly nodded her head. "Agreed." Fernpaw waved her tail at her friends. "I'll see you all tomorrow. Let's hope you don't get any wounds." A few whispered 'goodbye' before the dark gray she-cat stalked to the den where Mousenose was first led into. Lionpaw watched the apprentice, and tilted her head to the side. "Isn't she supposed to sleep with us?" she asked, turning around to the apprentices. Rowanpaw closed her eyes and shook her head. "Fernpaw's a medicine cat apprentice, so she sleeps in the medicine den with her mentor." Lionpaw felt like smacking herself on her head. Lunarstar had told her that already. Seeing Lionpaw's frustration, Rowanpaw suggested, "Come on, let's go back to the den and get a good night sleep. You must be exhausted."

Though Lionpaw was excited to start her duties, she knew that the brown apprentice was right. If she wanted her energy to work tomorrow, then she had to get her sleep. Lionpaw let out a yawn as she followed Rowanpaw all the way to the apprentice's den.

Lionpaw opened her eyes to everlasting darkness. She was falling deeper and deeper into the endless mist, unable to bring herself back to the surface. None of her muscles were able to move except for her eyes. As Lionpaw looked downwards, she saw the familiar, misty figure of Mistfang. The silver-and-white tom was being consumed by the darkness with his face still sticking out. His right foreleg was stretched out to the sky, pointing to where Lionpaw was falling. His hazel eyes were pleading in agony as he mouthed, "Help me." Though his voice was lost, Lionpaw could tell what he was saying. Surprisingly, she was able to reach out a paw back to him. Mistfang struggled to grab her, his toes wriggling to stretch farther out. Just as Lionpaw was about to grab his paw, a light blasted out behind her. Lionpaw's eyes glanced over her shoulder at the bright light, and her eyes widened when she heard a voice call out her name.

"Don't leave me here!" Mistfang mouthed again, but Lionpaw couldn't hear him. She whirled her body around and floated toward the light. Her eyes closed as its warmth touched her fur, warming up her whole body. A distant voice called out to her. "Lionpaw?" The light swirled around her as the voice came again louder. "Lionpaw!" Lionpaw breathed in the fresh air and started to relax. "_Lionpaw!_" a voice hissed into the apprentice's ear.

Lionpaw opened her eyes and saw Thistlepaw's annoyed, dark blue gaze. His rose his head away from her nest, snorting angrily. "That took you some effort to wake you up. What are you, a dormouse?" he growled irritably. Lionpaw rolled onto her paws and shook the moss out of her fur. "Ha, ha, very funny." she replied, slightly offended by his tone. Thistlepaw looked over at the entrance to the den. "Moonshine said that you and I are sharing mentors today. She wants us to do border patrol because it would be a good for you to see the territory." he explained.

"Great! When do we go?" Lionpaw asked excitingly. Thistlepaw flicked his gray, spiky tail at her to follow. "Right now." he answered, padding out of the den. Lionpaw didn't hesitate to walk after him. As she stepped into the clearing, sunshine blinded her for a moment. After blinking a couple of times to adjust her sight, Lionpaw could see cats working all over the camp.

Moonshine was sitting on her ledge on the black crystal as she gave orders to warriors without jobs. A rare, tortoiseshell-and-white, tom sat next to a black tom in the middle of the camp as they spoke directions to Patchpaw and Whitepaw. The small tortoiseshell from the night before was sitting by the entrance to the medicine den with Fernpaw right beside her. Flicking her tail, the small tortoiseshell led Fernpaw to the entrance of the camp and disappeared. Mousenose peered out of the medicine den with balls of moss hanging from his jaws. Slowly, he slipped out of the den and into a thorn bush which hid the entrance of the warrior's den. Rowanpaw, Griffonpaw, and Scarletberry entered the camp with fresh-kill dangling out of their mouths. They made their way to a stump which was the fresh-kill pile. A small pool of water lingered in between the warrior's den and the apprentice's den. A silver and golden she-cat spoke with each other there as they lapped the cool, fresh water.

"Lionpaw, over here!" a brown tom called out, Thistlepaw next to him. Lionpaw ran to them, her tail straight up in the air. "Are we leaving now?" she questioned. The brown tom purred, giving her back a smile. "If you're ready, then we're ready. Let's go." Thistlepaw was the first one to crawl through the camp entrance. Lionpaw waited for the tom to go first, but he encouraged her with a dip of his head. "It is my duty to look after you, so go ahead." Lionpaw's ears turned hot with embarrassment for being shown such kindness. She pushed herself to the ground and carefully came forward into the tunnel. Lionpaw could hear Thistlepaw's mentor come in behind her as she continued out of the camp. Once out on the other side, she waited until the brown tom appeared before going up the ravine together. They stood at the top and took the time to shake the dirt out of their fur.

"My name is Bearstep, if you didn't already know." the brown tom introduced himself. His blue eyes rested on his apprentice. "And you already know Thistlepaw." Lionpaw looked over at the silver tom. When the two of them met eyes, Thistlepaw looked away, his cheeks turning red. "So, where are we heading next?" he asked, trying to change the subject. Bearstep closed his eyes and sniffed the air. "I think we should explore all of the territory just for Lionpaw's sake. Let's make our way to the WindClan border and on our way show our friend Shrub Hill and the Ghost Tree." Thistlepaw and Lionpaw nodded their heads in agreement.

As the three cats continued to walk, it wasn't before long they came into a clearing full of fungi. The ground was slanted upwards into a hill with mushrooms and toadstools growing along the side of it. Bearstep stopped in front of the two apprentices, pointing with his tail toward the hill. "This is Shrub Hill. Our medicine cat, Spottedheart, usually comes here and gather herbs to make poultices. Warriors aren't allowed to hunt around here because Spottedheart is afraid we'll destroy the year's harvest." Lionpaw curiously sniffed a golden mushroom, and drew back when a disgusting scent filled her nostrils. Thistlepaw behind her let out a _mrrow _of laughter. "Careful, herbs bite!" he taunted. Lionpaw lashed out a sheathed paw at him playfully. Bearstep purred with them. "Come, while we still have daylight. We need to get to the WindClan border."

On their way to the WindClan border, they stopped again at a place called Ghost Tree. It was a pure, white willow tree with branches that hung down gloomily. Lionpaw shivered when she first saw the sight. The feeling of being around the tree was overwhelming because it felt as if it were a sacred place for the dead. To Lionpaw, the Ghost Tree was a place for spirits of old to move on. "Whenever a warrior dies, we gave a ritual for them in our camp and bury them in front of the Ghost Tree. It is a place for ShadowClan to mourn the warriors that have passed on into StarClan." Bearstep had told her as they left the clearing.

Finally, they came to the WindClan border. Bearstep explained that borders marked the edge and start of each Clan territory, and that each Clan borders two other Clans. He showed the two apprentices how to mark the border and let the two of them try it themselves. Just as they were about finished marking their territory, a WindClan patrol came near, their eyes narrowed.

In the front of the WindClan patrol was a ginger she-cat with black stripes and a white underbelly. Right beside her was a scrawny, light brown tom, a black tom, and a small gray tom with a white muzzle. Each of them had a dark look in their eyes as they stared at the ShadowClan patrol across the border. The ginger she-cat whipped her tail across the ground, her fur bristling.

"What is ShadowClan planning to do this time? Murder more WindClan warriors?" the leader of the patrol growled, unsheathing her claws. Bearstep ushered the two apprentices behind him, his blue eyes looking straight into the WindClan warrior's eyes. "We aren't looking for a fight," he reminded, taking a step back, "We're only marking the border." The ginger warrior grinned. "Aw, what's wrong? Is ShadowClan _afraid _of getting blood on their claws?" The other warriors in the patrol snickered in delight. Lionpaw was amazed of how Bearstep controlled his temper. Instead, he held his gaze and stood proudly in front of the WindClan warriors as if all of StarClan was on his side. He was a loyal, responsible warrior that would do anything to protect his Clan and clanmates. "Well, Bigfoot? What are you going to do about us?" the ginger she-cat chuckled, beginning to advance.

"It's against the warrior code to cross the border." Bearstep calmly replied. "As long as we are in our boundary lines, then we're safe." The ginger warrior took a glance at her clanmates, then gave out a snort of disbelief. "You mouse-brained fools," she growled, "Boundaries will never keep us from getting our revenge!" Without warning, the WindClan warrior stepped across the border and into ShadowClan territory. Lionpaw held her breath, her eyes stretched wide in terror. Looking over at Thistlepaw, the silver apprentice was crouched down, ready to spring at a nearby warrior. He curled his lips back, letting out a loud snarl as the other WindClan warriors followed their leader. Bearstep's large paws unsheathed their claws, preparing to lash out at his first opponent.

"Lionpaw, Thistlepaw, get out of here!" Bearstep hissed when the first WindClan warrior leaped. The two apprentices jumped out of the way as the WindClan warriors bowled the ShadowClan warrior over. Lionpaw could hear the breath being driven out from Bearstep's body as he was hit with hard blows to his face and ears. Thistlepaw lashed his tail back and forth while he watched his mentor being attacked by three WindClan warriors. Lionpaw nudged the apprentice, but he wouldn't budge. "Come on! Bearstep told us to go, so let's get some help!" she exclaimed, loud enough for the enemy to hear. The small gray tom pulled away from Bearstep, his face smeared with freshly spilled blood. His blue eyes were filled with a burning fire that held a bitter grudge. Rearing his lips back, the WindClan apprentice revealed blood-stained teeth.

"ShadowClan thinks that they're so great, but they're wrong! We're taking back our respect!" the apprentice roared, charging at the two cats. Lionpaw expected a head-on attack, but the apprentice leaped into the air, his tail curling toward his stomach. With a flip, the WindClan apprentice's tail lashed down with a strong force. It hit Thistlepaw square on top of his head, sending him tumbling to the ground. The silver tom's chin pounded against the hard soil with a sickening thump and crack. Thistlepaw opened his mouth to yowl, but the pain was too overwhelming to make a sound. Lionpaw took a step back as the WindClan apprentice placed one paw against Thistlepaw's neck, his blue eyes filled with amusement. "I always knew that ShadowClan apprentices were weak, just like the warriors. Maybe they're even a little weaker." he whispered, grinning. Thistlepaw tried to speak back, but it only came out as a weak rasp.

Lionpaw knew what her duty was: she had to get more ShadowClan warriors. The golden apprentice forced her paws to move and began to run in the direction of the Ghost Tree. It would be the first landmark that would help Lionpaw find her way back to the ShadowClan camp. But as the mysterious, white willow came into sight, a black tom, one with the smell of WindClan stepped in her way. As Lionpaw came to a halt, the scrawny brown tom from before came in behind her, blocking the last place to escape. While standing underneath the hostile gaze of two WindClan warriors, Lionpaw couldn't do anything but tremble.

"I don't think I've ever seen _you _before. What do you think you're doing here?" the black tom scowled as he looked down at the apprentice. Lionpaw remembered seeing Bearstep's thrashing body as all of the warriors in the WindClan patrol laid their claws on him. It wasn't hard to think of Thistlepaw's crunching jaw and painful breaths with the WindClan apprentice standing over him in pride. Lionpaw knew what these warriors could achieve, and she was afraid of what would happen to her next.

"He asked you a question, kit!" the scrawny tom hissed behind her, "Now answer him!" Lionpaw could not help but to flinch. Her eyes closed, and she felt tears beginning to form at the edge of her eyes. "I—I'm a ShadowClan apprentice." she whispered, barely enough for the WindClan warriors to hear. The two toms burst out laughing, their loud voices causing birds to fly from the branches they were once sitting on. Lionpaw pressed herself close to the ground, and even put her ears against her head. When the warriors stopped laughing, the black tom's chin lowered and his green eyes gave off a menacing glare. Taking a step forward, the two of them began to advance.

"Alright, _kit_. We'll play along." the scrawny tom snickered, his claws unsheathing. The black tom's whiskers twitched in amusement, and he curled his lips back to reveal his sharp, pointed teeth. "Since you're an apprentice of another Clan, then we have no choice but to defend our territory." Lionpaw's eyes stretched wide, letting her first couple of tears pour down against her cheeks. She stammered as she tried to speak back. "B—But this is ShadowClan's t—territory!"

"Not anymore." The last couple of words spoken by the warriors shook Lionpaw cold. More tears fell from her eyes as they stained the ground darker. The WindClan cats drew closer and closer until it was too uncomfortable to bear. Lionpaw's eyes closed shut and she braced herself as claws and teeth met her flesh.

"Lionpaw! Lionpaw!" an urgent voice called out at the edge of Lionpaw's mind, leaking into her head and echoing in her ears. Lionpaw's amber eyes opened, and she found herself standing in the familiar, misty grounds of a dark dream. Looking down at her paws, Lionpaw found that they were see-through like a ghost. She jumped at the sight, and squinted to get a better look. Lionpaw was horrified when she noticed that her whole body was getting brighter, or in other words, becoming solid.

"You have a paw in two worlds." a well-known voice murmured as Mistfang stepped into the clearing. Lionpaw flinched as she stared wide-eyed into his hazel eyes. She could see misery dwelled within Mistfang's gaze, but what astonished her was the look of compassion he gave her. Lionpaw had not expected this side of the silver tom before, especially since the time she had first met him. When she had tried to talk to him, he turned her away and forced her to leave. Perhaps, Lion thought, there was something more to the tom than she already knew.

"I knew you wouldn't survive long in the forest. How could a barn cat like you turn out to be a strong warrior like me?" Mistfang mewed sarcastically, his whiskers twitching. Lionpaw's generous feelings for him faded without question. "WindClan wasn't supposed to attack us! We were in our own territory, and I didn't have any training to defend myself!" she exclaimed, anger beginning to well up in her chest.

"WindClan? Lionpaw, what about WindClan?!" the mysterious voice above came again. The muscles in Lionpaw's head tensed from the overwhelming sound that pounded in her mind. She clenched her teeth and let her head drop to try to withstand the pain. Mistfang smirked, looking up to the faint light that stood out within the black clouds of nightmares. "I don't believe it," he breathed, "You really don't give up on a fight, do you?" Lionpaw glared at him, forcing out a growl from the breath she had left.

"Lionpaw, Lionpaw! Don't lose us now!" A scream escaped Lionpaw as the pounding amplified, driving the breath out of her chest while she tried to breathe. Mistfang began to look cautious when he saw the effect of Lionpaw's headache. He raised a paw out to her, but Lionpaw stumbled back away from his grasp. "Don't touch me!" she screeched, her ears flat against her head. "Stop hurting me!" Mistfang's eyes narrowed, and he curled his lips back into a snarl. "If you just stop fighting it, then you won't suffer!" he insisted, his teeth bared.

"I'll never let go! I'm not going to die!" Lionpaw hissed, struggling to keep standing. Mistfang froze with his eyes opened wide. He had not seen such determination come from a cat that has been raised in a barn for its whole life. His expectations were to see the she-cat give up and live her life on with no pain and distress. Her body would have been buried, and eventually a cat from StarClan would come down and guide her to paradise. Mistfang tried to comprehend why Lionpaw would want to continue living the life of the warrior, even though she had been nearly murdered by WindClan warriors. Though he didn't understand _why_, he still knew that this was what Lionpaw wanted the most.

"Don't you recognize those voices?" Mistfang asked, looking back up at the dim light above their heads. "I—I hear Rowanpaw, Scarletberry, a—and Fernpaw." Lionpaw cringed as she strained to listen closely to the voices. Her amber eyes suddenly blazed as she studied Mistfang with a stern look. "You can hear the voices too?!" Mistfang lowered his chin to face her. "Yes. The light above our heads is the tunnel from the real world to the dream that we are in now. Unfortunately, because you are still linked into two worlds, the voices can still be heard from above. They can sometimes hear you speak with me, but they will only be able to catch a few words. If you wish to stop the pain, then you have to remain in one world and leave the other behind."

"Great, then I want to go back!" Lionpaw exclaimed, hope rising in her chest. One of Mistfang's ears twitched, and he gave out a scowl. "It's not as easy as you think!" he spat. "Your body is _dying_, so it's being drawn into this world we're in now! If you wish to return to the world above, then you'll need help from someone that's already dead!" Lionpaw flicked an irritated ear back at him. "_You're _dead." she stated, her eyes narrowing, "Now help me."

"I was talking about StarClan," Mistfang muttered, "I prefer staying here in my own world..._alone_." Lionpaw stared at him in disbelief. "Don't you get lonely?" she asked. Mistfang turned his back against her. "That's none of your business. I think it's best for you to start praying to StarClan, because you're looking for help in the wrong places." With that, he began to walk away. Lionpaw looked after him in agony, giving a silent prayer to StarClan for assistance. She could slowly feel her pain ebb away with every second passing. Her body was no longer see-through, and Lionpaw was able to touch her own body without going through it. The voices in her head began to fade away, leaving Lionpaw to lose hope in everything she believed in. Lionpaw was seconds away from being completely dead.

"Mouse-brained fool!" Mistfang spat as he leaped behind Lionpaw, pressing his paw against her back. Lionpaw gaped, letting in a silent gasp as she glanced over her shoulder at him. Mistfang's paw began to glow with a brilliant light, and sent a jolt running through Lionpaw's entire body. Lionpaw froze as she was engulfed with the energetic power. The light coming from Mistfang's paw ran up the tom's arm and caused him to explode into sparks. A big, potential energy ran through Lionpaw one last time before she became see-through again. Her paws lifted from the ground, sending her toward the light that grew brighter as she came closer. The sunlight burned her vision, causing Lionpaw to become blind which seemed like eternity. But when she opened her eyes, Lionpaw, though her eyesight was blurred, found the face of Rowanpaw staring straight at her.

"F—Fernpaw!" Rowanpaw squeaked in shock, "Lionpaw is awake! She's _awake_!" Lionpaw couldn't turn her head, but she could hear Fernpaw's paws shuffling against the needle-covered ground as she came forward. "Impossible." the beautiful she-cat muttered, standing next to Rowanpaw. After taking one glimpse at Lionpaw, her eyes immediately stretched wide and her voice was in excitement and panic. "Scarletberry! Get me some cobwebs and—and some comfrey root!" Lionpaw tried to speak, but it only came out as a groan.

"Lionpaw, what happened? You were mumbling while you were unconscious, and we thought you _died_! No one could have withstood those wounds!" Rowanpaw mewed, trembling from the sight of her injured friend. Though Lionpaw couldn't find her voice, she still had the strength to put her paw onto Rowanpaw's. She gave her a weak smile, then lay her head back and forced herself to relax as Fernpaw came over with the treatments.

The dark gray apprentice began to get to work. She first took off the blood-filled cobwebs and took out a leaf that held the comfrey poultice. Fernpaw smeared the moist substance all along Lionpaw's body where the worst injuries were. A few other poultices were applied to the wounds including horsetail, marigold, and goldenrod. Because Lionpaw wasn't able to eat on her own, Fernpaw took chamomile in one paw and helped the golden-brown apprentice chew the herb and swallow. For the final touches, Fernpaw wrapped Lionpaw in fresh cobwebs so that any other bleeding would stop.

"The patrol found Bearstep and Thistlepaw." Scarletberry informed the medicine cat apprentice as Fernpaw took a step back to look at her work. Rowanpaw tensed as she met the eyes of the ginger warrior. "How's my brother?" she asked in a small whisper, half wanting to receive an answer. Lionpaw's ears pricked up when she heard this. She remembered the condition Thistlepaw had been in before Lionpaw decided to run and fetch help from other ShadowClan warriors: his jaw was broken and twisted in an ugly manner, his face was bruised with intense blows, and there were several flesh wounds along his neck and legs. Despite his jaw, Lionpaw thought that he was alright. Well, at least she _hoped _he was alright.

"Their injuries are deep, I'm afraid," Scarletberry replied, "But it looks as if they're going to make it. Out of the three of them, Lionpaw was the one that came out the worst." Hope glistened in Rowanpaw's eyes, and she let out a sigh of relief. "Thank StarClan." she breathed. Lionpaw shared the same thoughts, but Fernpaw thought differently when her whiskers twitched with anxiety. "I hope that Spottedheart is seeing to them, or they really will die." Scarletberry rested her tail along the apprentice's shoulders for comfort, and gave her a smile. "Do not worry about them; they are in her paws already."

"Speaking of which, I should probably bring Lionpaw back to her. Rowanpaw, go back to the Clan and tell them that Lionpaw is alive. Scarletberry and I will bring her to camp, so hurry." Fernpaw instructed, flicking her tail in dismissal. Rowanpaw gave a curt nod of her head, turned, and raced in the direction of the camp. Scarletberry examined Lionpaw's broken body and asked, "How will we pick her up?" Fernpaw rolled her eyes at the warrior. "She won't die if we move her. Just pick her up, but try to keep her as still as possible; there a few broken bones that need to heal properly." After taking a couple minutes of adjusting Lionpaw on their backs, the two cats carried the apprentice back to camp.

As they came to the ravine, the three cats met a ShadowClan patrol that was waiting for them by the camp entrance. In the lead was Coalfur with his apprentice, Whitepaw, and Goldenpool right behind him. The jet black tom took a glimpse at Lionpaw's body, and rose a suspicious eye. "Rowanpaw came back to the camp telling all of us that Lionpaw is alive. Did she die on the way?" he demanded, craning his neck to get a better look. Whitepaw's tail drooped and Goldenpool just stared in shock. "But this must not be StarClan's will!" the golden she-cat protested. "Why would they let a kit like her die on the way over? Surely our ancestors wouldn't be that cruel!"

"Now stop this nonsense," Scarletberry snapped at the two warriors, "We sent Rowanpaw to tell the Clan that Lionpaw is still alive, and she is! If you would be so kind to stop your little gossip, we would be happy to go and get Lionpaw the treatment she needs." Goldenpool didn't hesitate to step aside along with Whitepaw, but Coalfur glared at the ginger warrior with a warning look as if to say, "Talk to me like that again and I'll rip you to shreds." Scarletberry huffed at the black tom and pressed herself down to the ground. Fernpaw released the other half of Lionpaw's body onto the warrior's back, and after making sure that she was firmly on, Scarletberry crawled into the tunnel.

Scarletberry pulled herself out on the other side and into the camp clearing where she was greeted by the medicine cat. Spottedheart flicked her tail at the ginger warrior, ordering her to follow. The two she-cats padded toward a log entrance at the back of the camp near the leader's black crystal. They walked along the wood surface for several steps until they came inside the medicine den.

The medicine den was familiar to every cat because it was the only place for them to heal their wounds and illnesses. The ceiling of the den was covered in thick roots with water dripping from the ends of it. The walls had been caved into small holes that were perfect for storing herbs, poultices, and different types of fungi. A little pool had formed in one of the corners with bedding placed along the edge of it where patients could get a cool drink. Two of the nests were occupied by the sleeping, cobwebbed bodies of Bearstep and Thistlepaw. Right next to Thistlepaw's nest was a warm place where Spottedheart wanted Lionpaw to stay for the next several nights. Scarletberry leaned her head down and lowered her forelegs. From the slant of the ShadowClan warrior's body, Lionpaw easily rolled off of her and landed in the nest with a grunt.

"When are visitors allowed to come in?" Scarletberry questioned in a hushed voice. Spottedheart closed her eyes and pondered for a minute. "All I know is that they need their rest if they are to recover their lost strength. Bearstep has some pretty bad wounds, but since he is a strong warrior, I know he'll pull through quickly. Thistlepaw is young, but he is also courageous. I have no doubt that he will survive as well."

"What about Lionpaw?" The room became quiet enough that Lionpaw was able to hear the soft breathing of the two cats beside her. "It was a miracle that she overcame the death that awaited her, but since I haven't checked her properly, I don't know will become of her. I will need a couple of days of her to myself before anyone else can visit. Do you understand?"

"I understand completely, Spottedheart. I will see you tomorrow." Scarletberry gave her farewells and walked out of the den. Lionpaw was grateful for the compassion the ginger warrior had given her, especially for preparing her such a soft nest. It was comforting against her aching muscles and broken bones. Because she could barely breathe, let alone move, all Lionpaw wanted to do was have a long rest. Closing her eyes, Lionpaw let darkness overcome her and send her into her dreams for the night. As she slept, Spottedheart watched the forced and painful rising of Lionpaw's chest. Her green eyes rested in pity at the young apprentice, and she glanced at the night stars in a silent prayer. "Please StarClan," the medicine cat whispered, "Please strengthen these cats in their sleep. And please make sure Lionpaw becomes the warrior that she is destined to become."

**So basically Lion(paw) was beaten to death by WindClan warriors, and Mistfang surprisingly helps her so she can continue to live her life. But, what happened to Mistfang, and why does Spottedheart doubt the recovery of Lionpaw? That will be explained in chapter three.**


	4. Chapter 3 The Recovery

**Sorry that this took so long to update, but it's finally here! Thanks again for the reviews. I really appreciate them, and thanks for those that at least read my story. Anyway, here's Chapter Three! **

"Come on, Lionpaw! Let's go play!" Rowanpaw yowled. The brown apprentice pranced through the flower-filled, grassy meadows with a bright smile and her tail waving behind her. Thistlepaw paced beside his sister, his dark blue eyes shining happily. With his fixed jaw, he exclaimed, "I'll race you back to camp!" Whitepaw charged in front of them, her eyes determined. "You can try, but everyone knows that I'll win!" she reminded, running farther ahead. Thistlepaw quickened his pace, trying to outrun the big, white she-cat. "Hey! No fair!" he protested once he noticed he was lagging behind. Rowanpaw glanced over her shoulder while she continued to sprint. "Lionpaw, hurry up!" she encouraged as she went to catch up with the other two apprentices. Lionpaw leapt after them, not wanting to be left behind.

"Guys, slow down!" Lionpaw called to them as she began to get tired. "Sorry, can't hear you! You'll have come and get us!" Rowanpaw shouted gleefully over her shoulder. Lionpaw came to a halt, staring longingly after them as their bodies disappeared into the woodlands. She sighed, plumping her hindquarters to the ground and wrapping her tail around her paws. Lionpaw was beginning to enjoy being free from the medicine den and her injuries. She felt like she could get back to her duties and spend a good time of the evening playing with her friends. But since the apprentices had left her behind, Lionpaw wasn't in the mood to go and find them. If they wanted to play that game, then they could go and play it by themselves.

"Some dream." a voice muttered behind her. Lionpaw looked to her left and found Mistfang sitting next to her with narrowed, hazel eyes. "But...how?" the golden-brown apprentice was lost in words. Mistfang hunched his shoulders as he brought his head down, still staring into the woodlands. "Helping you escape meant sacrificing my soul for yours. Now that I'm officially a part of you, beetle-brain, I'm allowed to travel through your mind and dreams." Lionpaw rose a suspicious eye at him. "So that means you can eavesdrop on conversations I'm having with other cats?" Mistfang flicked an irritated ear. "Pretty much." he grumped.

"Just keep your mouth shut about it, alright?" Lionpaw commanded. "Who else am I going to tell? I'm only a part of _you_." Mistfang scoffed, getting to his paws. With a lash of his tail, the silver tom turned around and stalked in the opposite direction of the woodlands. Lionpaw locked her eyes on him and watched as he began to leave.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lionpaw demanded. Mistfang paused, but didn't look back at her. "Nowhere." he simply replied, and continued to walk.

A screech woke Lionpaw from her rest, and her amber eyes opened wide in panic. _Was there another attack? Is everyone okay?! _But glancing up, the apprentice made out the walls and ceiling of the medicine den. She let out a sigh, wishing she were back in her dreams with the ability of moving her legs once again. Lionpaw suddenly became concerned when she saw Thistlepaw hunkered down beside Spottedheart with tears running down his cheeks. When she shuffled to get a better look at his condition, Spottedheart turned around and stared at Lionpaw with widened eyes.

"Nothing is wrong, I assure you two," Spottedheart mewed, taking a quick glance at Bearstep, "I just put Thistlepaw's jaw back into place." Lionpaw struggled to take a peek at the brown warrior near her. With the quick look she had, Lionpaw could see that Bearstep was awake as well and looking rather shocked by the disruption of his slumber. Calming herself down, Lionpaw lay her head back and relaxed. It was good to know that Thistlepaw would survive now that his jaw was no longer twisted.

"When can my apprentice go back to training?" Bearstep asked, still concerned. Spottedheart gave him a smile. "In two days. I'll be sure to ask Twistedtail if he can be Thistlepaw's mentor until your wounds have fully healed." Bearstep purred happily, resting his chin against his paws and closing his eyes. Spottedheart finished binding Thistlepaw's jaw and led him to his nest where he would rest. The apprentice mewed his gratitude, but was still trembling from the pain he had experienced. After knowing that Thistlepaw was once again asleep, Spottedheart came to Lionpaw's nest and began to examine her.

"How are you feeling?" the tortoiseshell asked, pressing a paw against Lionpaw's belly. The golden-brown apprentice stiffened as she tried to make an effort to move. "Tight." she replied, growling at the weakness of her body. Spottedheart gave her a look of pity. "I'm still not sure how you will recover, but it will take a good amount of time." Lionpaw began to worry. "What can I do to help?" she demanded. The medicine can closed her eyes and shook her head. "All you can do right now is rest."

"But I feel useless!" Lionpaw protested. "How can I help defend my Clan if I can do nothing but lie here?" Spottedheart swept her tail over the apprentice's mouth, her eyes looking stern. "I promise that I will do my best to help you feel better, but I can't do that if you overwork your body. Now if you want to move your legs again, then I suggest closing your eyes and sleep." Lionpaw was too afraid to argue with the tortoiseshell, so she closed her eyes in hopes that she would travel into her dreams again. This time, she didn't.

Lionpaw couldn't keep track of the days that were passing by. She knew that enough time had passed for Thistlepaw and Bearstep to return to their normal duties. Along with this, Lunarstar had a ceremony for Patchpaw and Whitepaw to become warriors. During the ceremony, Lunarstar also added that Mousenose was free from his punishment and was able to return to the warrior's den. Patchpaw and Whitepaw were now known as Patchfoot and Whitewind, and having them as warriors was a blessing to ShadowClan. There were now more experienced fighters to help defend against the other Clans, but WindClan especially. Lionpaw was jealous of them; she wished that she was out there helping the Clan too. But as much as she pestered Spottedheart for her status, the medicine cat would always say, "Give it time."

"I brought you all some fresh-kill," Scarletberry mewed from the den entrance one day, three mice dangling by their tails from her mouth. Spottedheart blinked in surprise from the poultice she was making. "You didn't have to do that. I would have sent Fernpaw to the pile." the medicine cat reminded. Fernpaw purred at her mentor, giving off a small laugh. "Thank you for the mice," the apprentice added to Scarletberry as she went up to accept them. When the mice were removed from the warrior's grasp, Scarletberry's stomach gave out a loud grumble.

"Somebody's hungry." Spottedheart commented, her eyes looking amused. Scarletberry's ears turned hot with embarrassment, and she lowered her gaze to her paws. "I've been working all morning." she admitted, brushing a paw back and forth against the ground. Spottedheart smiled, looking down at the three mice. "Go ahead and take one of them as a reward. I'm sure Fernpaw wouldn't mind sharing her meal with Lionpaw." Scarletberry's amber eyes widened in fear.

"But Lionpaw must eat what she needs if she is to recover!" the ginger warrior protested, her fur rising. The golden-brown apprentice rose her head from her nest and stared wearily at Scarletberry. "Thanks, but I don't have much of an appetite." she insisted, laying her head back down. Spottedheart narrowed her eyes at Lionpaw. "You're not useless, and you do deserve to eat the prey. I'm tired of hearing this nonsense!"

"It's not that!" Lionpaw exclaimed, clearing her throat. Spottedheart and Scarletberry shared the same, suspicious glance. They both looked back at the apprentice, and Spottedheart took a paw step forward. "Then what is it?" she growled. "My chest hurts." Lionpaw explained, her voice sounding a little bit off. As she finished speaking, the golden-brown apprentice let out a loud cough, bending her head closer to her body to keep it from spreading. Spottedheart came next to the nest and placed a paw against Lionpaw's chest. Her eyes were concerned as she felt the young cat's breathing.

"Oh no," the tortoiseshell breathed, her eyes shaking. Turning back to Fernpaw, Spottedheart urgently mewed, "Get me some honey, juniper berries, and tansy!" The dark gray she-cat gulped nervously as she turned and headed toward the storage. Scarletberry padded to the medicine cat's side, her whiskers quivering. "What's wrong with her? Why is she coughing?"

"Lionpaw has a chest infection because of the lack of movement she has been having. It has happened before, including Briarlight from ThunderClan. After losing the use of her back legs, she had to clear her chest by learning to walk on her forelegs only. Though she survived the illness, it took her much effort to pull through. Lionpaw may have all four legs, but her body has not recovered from the injuries she received. She doesn't even have the strength to stand!"

"Are you saying that Lionpaw could _die _from this?!" Scarletberry gasped, her ears flattening against her head. Spottedheart bowed her head down with grief. "That is exactly what I'm saying." Fernpaw padded away from the storage with the necessary herbs in her jaws, and dropped them in front of her mentor. The medicine cat sighed as she opened up a folded ivy leaf and revealed a dab of honey. Using a paw, Spottedheart lifted the leaf toward Lionpaw, and ordered, "Lick." Lionpaw lapped up the sweet substance and swallowed with a satisfying gulp. She enjoyed the feeling of honey running down her throat, but it backfired when another cough came over her. Thankfully, the honey did not come back up.

"Now I know that it's going to be hard, but I need you to eat these juniper berries and tansy." Spottedheart continued, gesturing the herbs forward. Lionpaw waited until her cough stopped before she devoured them. She swallowed them quickly, fearing that another cough would bring them back up her throat. After knowing that the herbs had settled in her stomach, Lionpaw felt relieved. In fact, she felt much better than before.

"Can you stand up, Lionpaw?" Spottedheart asked. "Just give it a try." Lionpaw held her breath as she rolled to the side and placed herself above her paws. Her muscles began to scream, but she ignored the pain and begin to rest her weight onto her paws. Lionpaw struggled to bring herself up, but she managed to get several mouse-lengths off of the ground before stumbling. Scarletberry leaned forward and caught the apprentice before she could fall onto her side. All of Lionpaw's legs shook as she pushed herself all the way up. Even if most of her weight was leaning on Scarletberry, her legs still trembled weakly.

"Good, now help her to Darkstone and back." Spottedheart instructed. Lionpaw was grateful for Scarletberry's support as they walked step-by-step to the entrance of the medicine den. She felt as if she were a newborn in her mother's nest with no knowledge on how to walk. With every move she took, her paws threatened to collapse beneath her and send her tumbling to the floor. But in case in did happen, Scarletberry was by her side to catch her fall. They made it all the way to the fresh-kill pile in the clearing and changed their direction toward Darkstone, the large, black crystal.

As they walked, they were cheered on by several members of the Clan. "Go Lionpaw! You can do it!" Rowanpaw yowled, her amber eyes brightening at the sight of her friend. Whitewind looked over when she heard the apprentice, and a smile spread across her face. "Don't give up!" the white warrior encouraged, her voice adding to the supporting calls. Soon, most of the Clan was calling to her. "You're almost there!" Thistlepaw added, his tail waving in excitement. "Lionpaw, Lionpaw!" Bearstep began to chant. The other warriors one-by-one joined in, causing a loud commotion to explode within the camp. From the sound, the rest of the ShadowClan cats came out of their dens, including Lunarstar, Spottedheart, Fernpaw, Coalfur, and Mousenose.

Lunarstar stood perched on the tip of Darkstone and waited patiently for Lionpaw as the she-cat made an effort toward him. Spottedheart had her eyes stretched wide when she noticed that Scarletberry was no longer supporting the apprentice, and her mouth hung down speechlessly. Fernpaw's eyes brightened beside her mentor, grinning in pleasure. Coalfur's eyes narrowed in a look to show that he didn't give a mouse-tail about what the apprentice was doing. His tail flicked irritably and he stubbornly looked away with his bottom lip sticking out. Mousenose's whiskers twitched at the black tom as he stopped to stare at him. Coalfur hissed in annoyance when Mousenose nudged him aside, making his way toward the other warriors and joining in with the crowd.

All Lionpaw could hear was the cheer of her clanmates and her name constantly echoing in her head. She was determined not to fail her friends, especially when they were counting on her to make a full recovery. To be sure that she achieved her goal, Lionpaw focused on keeping her balance steady so she could gradually make it all the way to Darkstone. Her muscles tightened with every step she took, but when the pain became too much to bear, Lionpaw paused to take a breath.

Scarletberry saw the apprentice beginning to slow down, and her first instinct was to go and help her. But when she took her first few movements to Lionpaw, Lunarstar raised his tail ordering her to stand back. The ginger warrior bit her lip as she watched the golden-brown she-cat start to move again, regretting that she followed Lunarstar's orders. However, Scarletberry managed to hold back the temptation.

Lionpaw beamed when she noticed that she was only but a few fox-lengths away from her target. She reassured herself that the pain would soon be over once she had touched the surface of the crystal and that she would be on her way to becoming a warrior. But getting her hopes up only made matters worse, especially when she became reckless and hasty.

A loose shard of Darkstone stuck out of the ground and stood in the way of Lionpaw's path. The she-cat was oblivious to the possibilities of her success being ruined, even tripping over a little stone. When her paw struck the jagged surface, the first thing Lionpaw felt immediately was pain. The tip of the crystal dug into her toes as she leaned forward with the unexpected impact, and the top layer of her skin tore to create a puncture wound. Lionpaw cringed when she finally realized what had happened, and to save herself from disaster, she flung her paw to try to reach Darkstone. The apprentice managed to free her other paw from the stone and give herself a boost forward with her hind legs. Her claws unsheathed, stretching out as far as they could until her muscles burned. Lionpaw landed on her chest, the breath escaping her lungs and paralyzing her for a moment. As her spread-out foreleg hit the ground, the whole camp fell into a shocked silence.

Lionpaw didn't dare to open an eye and stare at where her paw was at. She could feel a jagged bump underneath it, but it was possible that it was the slope where it led up to the tall crystals. The she-cat wriggled her toes and flexed her claws as she tried to guess what she was feeling. Her paws and pads were telling her that underneath was soft soil, the substance found at the base of Darkstone. But when she moved her claws, there was a satisfying scrape to it just like the texture of the crystals. Lionpaw didn't know what part of her to trust, yet she knew that eventually she had to open her eyes and take whatever was waiting for her. She decided that it was better to get it over with.

Carefully raising an eyelid, Lionpaw unveiled the cover of her eye and looked straight ahead of her. She could see dirt aligning the color of her golden-brown fur and causing it to look more brown than gold. Her paw which she had tripped on had a little hole at the start of one of the middle toes. Blood began to fill the hole like a pool, and the droplets that had overflowed were dripping down toward her claw where it soaked in the ground. But farther ahead to her outstretched leg, Lionpaw could see her muscles straining to reach out. The heel of her paw was pressed against the soil that made up the base of Darkstone. From the weight it had pushed in it created an indent. Lionpaw squinted at her claws, trying to regain her vision from the terrific fall. She flexed them again and felt the same texture of stone. As the blurry spots became clear, Lionpaw saw that most of her paw and claws were barely touching the surface of Darkstone.

Scarletberry looked up expectantly at Lunarstar, and when his tail lowered, she quickly rushed to Lionpaw's side. "Well done," the ginger warrior whispered as she bent down to lick the apprentice's ear with comfort. Lionpaw relaxed, enjoying the rhythmic strokes of Scarletberry's tongue against her dirt-filled fur. It was the first time she was able to share tongues with a clanmate, and she enjoyed every second of it. Because of her actions and the warm feelings radiating off of Scarletberry, Lionpaw knew she had finally been accepted as part of the Clan.

"Lionpaw has proved to us that she has the heart of a warrior," Lunarstar rose his voice above the concerned mews in the clearing. The warriors turned up to their leader, and Lionpaw could see that his hazel eyes were prideful as he spoke. "It is in my best interest," Lunarstar continued, "To make Lionpaw my apprentice."

Most of the ShadowClan cats murmured words of approval while others whispered in shock. Only one cat didn't speak anything at all: Coalfur. The black warrior flicked his tail irritably at his clanmates and turned his back against them. His muscles rippled underneath his pelt as Coalfur sunk his head down and made way for his den. Taking one last look at the crowd beneath Darkstone, the tom disappeared head-first into the warrior's den. Lionpaw blinked in surprise as she watched Coalfur vanish into the den's dark depths. From her angle, it looked as if he was being consumed by the shadows, just like a helpless piece of prey to the claws of its predator. Lastly, Coalfur's waving tail faded into the blackness, and Lunarstar began speaking again. Lionpaw rose her head to the ShadowClan leader and continued to listen to his words.

"ShadowClan is falling," the tabby's voice was grim as he spoke, "There are no kits in the nursery, and we have many apprentices yet to complete their training. ShadowClan needs more warriors if it is to survive the threats from the other Clans and leaf-bare." Lionpaw was aware of the status of the Clan, especially while she sat in the medicine den for what seemed like seasons. It was true that the nursery was empty, and because it was for so long, the den was overgrown by wild plants and cobwebs filled with spiders. It gave off such a cold feeling that it seemed abandoned, but the warriors never cleaned it out. Lionpaw guessed that they would get to the job when a queen was ready to move into the den, and StarClan knows when that was going to happen.

"If we're going to strengthen ShadowClan, then our apprentices will have to complete their training!" Moonshine suddenly exclaimed, stepping out of the crowd of warriors and padding to the front. Lunarstar bowed his head respectively at his deputy as the silver she-cat leaped onto her ledge on Darkstone. Her light eyes looked back at the ShadowClan cats, and she mewed, "We will need to focus less on patrolling and hunting in order to help raise fine warriors into the Clan!"

"But what about WindClan?" Patchfoot demanded, the young warrior's fur bristling from the thought of the enemy Clan. "We need to protect our borders if they prepare to strike again!" Whispers of agreement scattered between the ShadowClan warriors. Moonshine closed her eyes and bowed her head down thoughtfully. "I understand your concern, young warrior, but that won't be happening." she replied calmly. Before Patchfoot could protest again, Lunarstar rose his tail to silence his warriors.

"One cat will be responsible for patrolling the territory during the day, and another warrior during the night. The rest of the warriors will be helping to train the apprentices by teaching them to fight and by hunting with them for the Clan." the tabby reasoned, his eyes turning from one cat to the next below him. Moonshine nodded her head in agreement. "Is there anyone who believes that they can take the task of patrolling?" she asked. The warriors looked at one another, waiting for a cat to jump up and take the position. By the uninterested looks on their faces, Lionpaw could tell that they didn't want to patrol the territory for the next few weeks while their clanmates were hunting and fighting. But when it seemed like no one would stand up, Whitewind padded to the front of the crowd of warriors with her eyes determined. "I will keep watch during the day!"

"And I will the night!" Patchfoot exclaimed as he joined his littermate beneath Darkstone. Lunarstar smiled and Moonshine dipped her head in approval. "Well done you two," the silver she-cat praised them, "You both will be the best for this job." Whitewind gave out a delighted purr, her cheeks rising and her eyes closing into slits as she gave her deputy and leader a smile. Patchfoot had his chest puffed out in pride with a boastful grin spread across his face. The tom's claws unsheathed, and he vowed, "I will shred any WindClan coward that tries to cross the border!"

"Actually, I would advise you to stay out of sight," Lunarstar suggested, causing all of the cats to look up at him. Like most of the warriors, Patchfoot stared at his leader in bewilderment while others, such as Whitewind, looked back at him expectantly. The tabby tom heaved a sigh and closed his eyes. "We just can't let another cat get injured. ShadowClan needs all of its warriors to help it thrive, and Spottedheart will need all the herbs she can get to help us through leaf-bare. If we take the risk and fight an unnecessary battle, then time will come to be the fall of ShadowClan."

"I agree," Moonshine added, "So no warrior must get into a fight." Whitewind dipped her head respectively with her light green eyes shining. "We won't fail ShadowClan." the white she-cat vowed, standing tall and proud. Patchfoot's ears went flat against his head and he gave out a snort of displeasure. "Those lucky flea-pelts," he muttered, flicking his tail crossly. The ShadowClan warriors ignored the white tom's bitter tone and turned back to their leader for more information they needed to know. Lunarstar held his chin high as he continued.

"Apprentices until they get their warrior names will be trained by more than one mentor. Moonshine and Mousenose will help train Rowanpaw, Scarletberry and Coalfur will help train Griffonpaw, Bearstep and Silverstorm will help train Thistlepaw, and Twistedtail and I will help train Lionpaw." Lunarstar listed the groups carefully so that each of his warriors could hear. As the Clan leader spoke to the individual cats in the groups, they nodded their heads to show that they understood. However, Goldenpool did not.

"You didn't assign me to an apprentice." Goldenpool pointed out, looking a bit worried. Lunarstar smiled, giving out a purr of amusement. "I've got a special assignment for you." the dark tabby reassured the golden warrior. Goldenpool's eyes brightened when she heard her leader. "What do you need me to do?" the she-cat asked, determination in her voice. Lunarstar looked toward the medicine den where Spottedheart and Fernpaw were sitting side-by-side. The ShadowClan leader nodded his head in approval at the medicine cat, and the tortoiseshell cleared her throat, mewing, "I would like a warrior to help me with Fernpaw's training."

"Do you think you can handle this task?" Lunarstar asked Goldenpool, tipping his head to one side. Goldenpool looked unsure, but she gave her leader a stern, curt nod of her head. "You can't count on me." she replied.

"These new duties will start tomorrow," Moonshine added, "So everyone must get a good night's rest before then. You are all dismissed." The deputy leaped off of her ledge and began organizing the last patrols of the day. As Lunarstar took one last glance at his warriors, his gaze drifted over toward Lionpaw. The golden-brown apprentice blinked in surprise as she met the hazel eyes of the ShadowClan leader. Lunarstar gave her back a smile.

"Remember to exercise your muscles so that they may get strong again. We begin training tomorrow at dawn." With that said, Lunarstar gave his apprentice a wink, turned, and stalked quietly into the depths of his den. Lionpaw stared after the ShadowClan leader completely lost in words to say. She had never thought of becoming Lunarstar's apprentice or finally get back into training. Lionpaw had only one day of being an apprentice in training, but all she did was patrol. How would she ever learn to hunt and fight if her muscles need the time they need to heal?

A light cuff around Lionpaw's ear drew her attention to Scarletberry next to her. The ginger warrior had a happy, yet concerned expression on her face. Lionpaw didn't know the reason to the she-cat's troubles, but she didn't have the strength to ask. Instead, she listened to Scarletberry as she spoke to her.

"Let's get you back to the medicine den. Spottedheart wants you to work on some new exercises that Goldenpool will help you with everyday. Now get to your paws and lean on me; we need to check your wounds right away."

"It's nothing serious," Spottedheart replied calmly, "Just a puncture wound. We'll get that sealed up right away." Lionpaw was sitting in her nest in the medicine den with her paw held out to the tortoiseshell medicine cat. It had been reported that there were several wrenched claws, a small puncture wound in one of her forepaws, scratches, and reopened wounds. Scarletberry was needed for patrol, so Goldenpool was at Lionpaw's side licking the blood off of her pelt and grooming her. Fernpaw stood next to her mentor's side with leaves in her jaws, ready for the next order. Spottedheart gave the puncture wound a good lick and wrapped the injured paw in cobwebs to soak up the remaining blood.

"I bet Scarletberry's happy with Lunarstar's choice as second mentor," Goldenpool reminded sarcastically, raising her head from Lionpaw's pelt. Spottedheart gave out a snort of agreement. "I bet he's only doing it just to have the two of them get along. Everyone knows that they wouldn't do it even if StarClan tells them to!" Lionpaw knew that the two cats were talking about Coalfur, the second cat to help with Griffonpaw's training. Suddenly, the golden-brown apprentice remembered being carried back to the ShadowClan camp and seeing Scarletberry and Coalfur together. Scarletberry's eyes were narrowed, Coalfur's eyes were blazing, and pure anger was driven between the two. Lionpaw thought of them training Griffonpaw and immediately a knot tightened in her stomach. She could not imagine the training ending well.

"Coalfur has ambition, and that's what makes him a good warrior." Goldenpool rambled on with the gossip. Spottedheart spat out chewed-up dock leaves onto Lionpaw's scratches and met the golden warrior's amber gaze. "It's true that he is valuable to ShadowClan, but at least Scarletberry knows when to sheathe her claws." Fernpaw dropped the leaves, wiping away fragments of herbs off her lips with her tongue. "Scarletberry is also very persuasive. If it weren't for her, I don't think Lionpaw would be in ShadowClan."

"ShadowClan has _never _allowed outsiders into the Clan." Spottedheart murmured in agreement, rubbing the ointment along Lionpaw's flank with her paw. Goldenpool gave out a sigh. "I just hope that Griffonpaw will be able to get the training she needs." Fernpaw rested her tail along the golden warrior's spine. "I'm sure she will be fine. Others don't see it, but Griffonpaw is very strong and persevered." Goldenpool closed her eyes and gave out a happy purr. "Just like her father." Sadness suddenly filled her gaze as she looked down at her paws. Fernpaw blinked back at the she-cat in confusion.

"Curse WindClan!" Goldenpool hissed, water glistening at the edge of her eyes. Fernpaw and Spottedheart shared a worried glance while Lionpaw tipped her head to one side. The apprentice didn't understand the she-cat's grief though she was well aware that WindClan and ShadowClan were at war with each other. _They put me in this position, _Lionpaw reminded herself, _They shouldn't have crossed the border. _By being angry at the enemy Clan for what they did, Lionpaw was curious to know what else they had done to satisfy the dark feelings she had for them. With open ears, the apprentice waited patiently until Goldenpool had the energy to speak again.

"They think they can control us." Goldenpool's eyelids closed to release tears from her eyes. They streaked down the fur along her cheeks and turned the original golden color to a darker shade. At her chin, the tears weighed down together and dripped to the floor. Fernpaw had her eyes closed and was muttering a silent prayer to StarClan while Spottedheart searched for the right words to say. The medicine cat's green eyes softened on the golden warrior and they tried to look confident, but even Lionpaw could see the doubt flickering in her gaze.

"StarClan did not approve of WindClan's actions, but that's the price ShadowClan had to pay for having agency." Spottedheart pointed out, resting her paw on Goldenpool's. The teary-eyed she-cat flung her head to face the tortoiseshell. Fire blazed in her eyes as she spat, "ShadowClan didn't deserved to be punished! _I _didn't deserved to be punished!" Spottedheart opened her mouth to speak, but Fernpaw cut her off. "No one deserved to be punished. Things like this happen, and we must overcome our trials by following the warrior code StarClan has sent to us."

"What can StarClan do to help?" Goldenpool challenged, unsheathing her claws. "We couldn't save a kit, so how can our ancestors be any different?" Spottedheart looked away from the enraged warrior. "We did the best we could to save the kit, but it wasn't StarClan's will to start a fire either. Our clanmates had failed to retrieve the kit and ShadowClan had to abandon it. Still, I have a feeling that your kit is still alive."

"If my kit is alive, then where is she? How could a defenseless little scrap manage to escape the choking ashes and falling trees?" Goldenpool's tail lashed, scattering the leaves Fernpaw had retrieve all across the medicine floor. Spottedheart closed her eyes thoughtfully as if she were pondering. Fernpaw stared at her mentor, waiting for the medicine cat's wise words to spill out. Lionpaw leaned forward in interest wanting to know the possibilities of a lost ShadowClan kit managing to survive such harsh conditions. After a few, long moments, Spottedheart's green eyes opened and she gave out a small shake of her head. "I don't know though I have faith that it is true."

_She's lying. _Lionpaw could tell from Fernpaw's suspicious expression that she knew her mentor's words were false. Spottedheart _did _know how the kit could have survived. Through the time the medicine cat was "thinking" of an answer, she was actually wondering wether she should tell the truth or keep a secret a little longer. Though Spottedheart couldn't fool the apprentices, Goldenpool was easily tricked by the lie. "Believe what you want to believe," the golden she-cat growled, "But I have no hope that my second child lives." Standing up, Goldenpool stalked out of the den with her tail swinging behind her. On a silent command, Fernpaw immediately began to gather the scattered leaves.

"Some of the leaves have torn. Should I throw them out?" the dark gray apprentice asked the tortoiseshell. Spottedheart gave Fernpaw a curt nod of her head. "Put away the ones of good use back in storage; I'm all finished with Lionpaw." Fernpaw flicked an ear to show that she understood, and got right to work with her duties. Spottedheart gave Lionpaw a comforting lick on the ear before standing up.

"Get some rest," the medicine cat instructed the golden-brown apprentice, "You will need your strength later today to work on your new exercises." Lionpaw didn't feel like arguing so she obediently rested her chin on her paws and wrapped her tail over her belly. Heaving out a breath, the apprentice fell into a deep slumber.

"You have to be quicker than that!" Lunarstar growled as he unbalanced his apprentice and threw her off her paws. Lionpaw landed on her back yet again, but she rolled onto her stomach and stood up for another try. "How can someone my size push over a cat as big as you?" she demanded crossly, shaking her pelt to get the dirt off of her fur. Lunarstar muttered something under his breath, then padded away from his position to Lionpaw's side. Slowly, he demonstrated the move again and went back to his place. "Try it again," he encouraged, "And this time, do it faster!"

Lionpaw charged, ignoring her throbbing muscles and ran straight toward Lunarstar's muzzle. The large, muscular tabby reared up onto his hind legs and raised a paw to swipe. _This is the part where I keep failing, _Lionpaw thought miserably as she tried to run faster. Lunarstar watched her moves carefully then swiped his paw down to throw her off balance. Lionpaw, instead of running faster to get underneath her mentor, stopped before she met the attack. Lunarstar gave out a frustrated snarl. "You didn't do it right! I said _faster_!"

"We've been doing battle training all day! Why can't we go hunt like Rowanpaw and Moonshine?" Lionpaw protested, bending her head down to catch her breath. "You're behind on your training and the other apprentices can get the prey the Clan needs. If we're to prepare ourselves from our enemy's threats, you will need to know how to fight and defend yourself." Lunarstar answered, his tail tip twitching irritably. Lionpaw glared at her mentor as she went back into her position. She hated how the technique was so difficult, not to mention her condition. The apprentice's muscles were growing stronger with each exercise Spottedheart told her to do, but the afternoon training with Lunarstar only made them burn from being used too much. Lionpaw didn't want to admit that her mentor was right when he said she was behind in her training, especially when he was being so hard with her. She didn't want to give him any satisfaction by cooperating, but since Lionpaw couldn't skip battle training she could do nothing but obey.

"This time, try to dodge my attack," Lunarstar suggested, bending down into a battle crouch. Lionpaw copied her mentor, waiting until he signaled when to start. When the dark tabby's tail lashed down, Lionpaw charged again.

"Pretend I'm a WindClan warrior trying to break into the nursery!" Lunarstar spat at her, his fur beginning to rise. Lionpaw's eyes stretched wide in horror as she suddenly remembered the WindClan warriors that had cornered and attacked her on her first day as an apprentice. Lunarstar's hazel eyes darkened into the shade of amber and his muscular body thinned into a scrawny size. Lionpaw could see Ratwhisker's twisted whiskers and smell his reeking breath as he advanced on her with unsheathed claws. Lionpaw heard her heart beat in her chest while she felt time stop all around. Ratwhisker's lips drew back revealing sharp, bloodstained teeth. His amber eyes blazed gleefully as he snickered, "A small cat with such a weak body will _never _become a true warrior!"

"You're wrong!" Lionpaw hissed, animosity overwhelming her. Her muscles were at sudden ease as she golden-brown apprentice sprinted toward the WindClan warrior. Ratwhisker looked uncertain while he watched Lionpaw run closer and closer toward him. Through narrowed eyes, the light brown warrior reared back onto his hind legs and raised a threatening paw reinforced with curved claws. Patiently, Ratwhisker waited for the right moment before swiping his paw downwards. Lionpaw nimbly dodged the slicing claws and ducked underneath the scrawny warrior. With a powerful swat of her leg paw, Ratwhisker's legs were swept from underneath him and he came tumbling to the ground. Lionpaw leaped out of the way, her fur still bristling as she stared at her opponent.

"That was perfect," Ratwhisker purred, standing back up. Lionpaw blinked and the image of the WindClan warrior faded. Lunarstar stood in the scrawny warrior's place with his forelegs trembling from the blow and his whole pelt covered in dust. Lionpaw forgot she had been fighting her mentor all along, but she distinctively remembered the sudden energy bursting through her body as she pictured herself getting her revenge on the cat that had ruined her life. A shiver ran down the apprentice's spine when she realized that she enjoyed the feeling of reprisal, and Lionpaw immediately began to fear. _What if it happens again and I can't control myself? _The she-cat shook her head, driving the thought away. _No, I will definitely make sure it _doesn't _happen again. _

"We'll try that move again tomorrow." Lunarstar interrupted Lionpaw's thoughts. The golden-brown apprentice looked up to see the dark tabby waiting for her by the entrance to the training hollow. There was a proud look in his hazel eyes that made Lionpaw feel warm inside. "Come on," the Clan leader flicked his tail at the apprentice, "You deserve a rest." Lionpaw felt relieved to finally get out of battle training. She began looking forward to eating some fresh-kill that the other apprentices caught and lying underneath the sun's warming rays. But a haunting feeling still remained as the apprentice followed her mentor out of the clearing.

"She has great talent and determination," Lunarstar had explained to Moonshine once they had returned to camp. The deputy sat and listened in interest with pricked ears as the dark tabby reported Lionpaw's progress. Rowanpaw was by the silver she-cat's side waiting impatiently for her mentor to boast about her. Lionpaw watched them from the apprentice's den with a half-eaten mouse in between her two forepaws. She was happy that the Clan was pleased with her work and she hoped to serve them well in the future. Ever since she had joined ShadowClan, Lionpaw was eager to impress her clanmates and do whatever she could to make her Clan stronger. Lunarstar had told her because of this, she had a warrior's heart. Even though Lionpaw believed every word he said, she still felt that something was missing in her heart that made her a true warrior of the Clan. But what was it?

"Are you going to finish the mouse?" Thistlepaw asked. Lionpaw looked up to see the silver tom looking down at her unfinished meal with hungry, blue eyes. She took a peek at the fresh-kill pile to find it completely empty. Lionpaw pushed the mouse toward him, and Thistlepaw began to devour it with famished bites.

"I've been hunting all morning and I haven't had anything decent to eat yet!" the apprentice mumbled through a mouth-full of food. Lionpaw couldn't help but to smile when she stared at his face. "You look like a chipmunk with your cheeks puffed up like that!" the she-cat laughed. Thistlepaw swallowed and gave Lionpaw a friendly glare. "Hey, you wouldn't be laughing if you were this hungry!"

"Nope, but I'm as full as a tick!" Lionpaw exclaimed, leaping back before Thistlepaw could gently cuff her ear. With a growl, Thistlepaw continued to lash blows at Lionpaw, but the she-cat nimbly dodged each of them without trouble. In between defense, Lionpaw had managed to deliver several attacks back at Thistlepaw and in the end caused him to trip and fall onto his side.

"I don't know what you're complaining about," the silver tom panted beneath Lionpaw, "You're really good at fighting!" Lionpaw's ears began to burn from the compliment. She looked down at her paws as they began to shuffle with embarrassment. "I—I still haven't mastered all of the moves yet." the golden-brown apprentice reminded shyly. Thistlepaw rolled back onto his paws and faced her with a bright smile. "I don't know all of the battle strategies either!" he exclaimed. With his tail waving excitingly, he added, "Because of Lunarstar, you're an even better fighter than me!"

"She won't be able to survive long if she can't catch anything for herself." a snarl sounded from behind Lionpaw. Thistlepaw glanced behind she-cat and his blue eyes stretched wide as he gasped, "Griffonpaw!" Lionpaw turned her head around and found herself face-to-face with Griffonpaw's white muzzle. Her narrowed, green eyes had a fire burning within their depths as she stared straight at Lionpaw. Griffonpaw never took her gaze off of the golden-brown apprentice when she flicked her tail and mewed briskly at Thistlepaw, "Bearstep wants you for a border patrol."

"Is it alright if Lionpaw comes too?" Thistlepaw asked, tilting his head to one side. "No," Griffonpaw answered quickly, "Lunarstar has his own plans for her." Thistlepaw's tail drooped as he looked back at Lionpaw. He gave a longing look to show that he didn't want to follow orders, but he reluctantly obeyed and sadly padded away. Once the silver tom was gone, Griffonpaw began pushing Lionpaw toward a group of bushes.

"Hey, what're you—" Griffonpaw interrupted Lionpaw's protest by covering her mouth with a paw. The white-muzzled apprentice gave the frightened Lionpaw a warning look before continuing to lead her away from the clearing. With a final shove, Lionpaw crashed into the bushes and landed heavily on her side, driving the breath out of her chest. While winded, Griffonpaw had enough time to pin her and prevent her from moving. She leaned close to Lionpaw's face, her mouse-scented breath blowing into the apprentice's nostrils.

"Listen closely, because this is the only warning I'm giving you!" Griffonpaw hissed in a whisper. Lionpaw's amber eyes were as wide as two full moons. She struggled underneath her clanmates' grasp, but that only caused Griffonpaw to push her down harder. Lionpaw's muscles screamed for the pressure to cease.

"What do you want from me?" Lionpaw whimpered, forcing herself to relax. Griffonpaw's tail swept across the sandy floor and she gave out a scowl. "All I'm asking for," the apprentice tried to sound calm, "Is that you stay away from Thistlepaw." She glanced warily over her shoulder to make sure no one else was near to hear. Slowly, Griffonpaw bent her head down close to Lionpaw's ear and whispered in a cold voice, "If you don't, I'll make sure you _never _become a warrior." With that said, Griffonpaw released Lionpaw, turned, and fled.

"Lionpaw, are you in there?" a voice outside the bushes mewed in a soft voice. _Scarletberry! _Lionpaw heaved herself to her paws and walked out to greet the ginger warrior. As usual, Scarletberry was looking worried.

"I heard Griffonpaw talking with someone back there. Was that you?" Scarletberry asked. Lionpaw wearily nodded her head. "We were just gossiping." the apprentice lied. She was worried that if she told the warrior of Griffonpaw's threat, then Griffonpaw would make sure that Lionpaw wouldn't become a warrior of the Clan. Lionpaw didn't want to risk it.

"You could have shared tongues in the clearing." Scarletberry pointed out, raising a suspicious eye. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't lie to me, would you?" The words were caught in Lionpaw's throat, but she managed to reply, "We didn't want to hurt anybody's feelings." Lionpaw winced when Scarletberry roughly cuffed her ear. "You shouldn't have spoken such harmful things anyway!" the ginger warrior scolded.

"I'm sorry," Lionpaw murmured, apologizing not for gossiping, but for lying. Scarletberry didn't know the difference in the apprentice's words. Either way, she was still angry. "Tell me what the two of you talked about." Scarletberry ordered. Lionpaw felt a knot tight into her stomach and she began to panic. How could she tell another lie? More importantly, _what _was she going to lie about?

"W—Word has spread around the camp that y—you and Lunarstar were becoming m—mates." Lionpaw stammered, unable to look into Scarletberry's eyes. The golden-brown apprentice waited for Scarletberry to burst into rage and cuff her ear again. She closed her eyes and braced herself, expecting the worst punishment. Surprisingly, the ginger warrior was silent. Lionpaw slowly looked up at Scarletberry to find her completely paralyzed with shock. Her amber eyes were round, her face was frozen in a dismay expression, and her whole body stood as still as a boulder; the ginger warrior didn't even blink.

"How did you find out?" Scarletberry's face went into a grimace as she glared down at the apprentice. Lionpaw forced down a swallow and stared back at the warrior in surprise. "You mean it's true?" she gasped, trying not to gape. Scarletberry leaned closer to Lionpaw's face. Her amber eyes held a serious look. "_How _did you find out?" she repeated.

"I couldn't help but to see a loving look in Lunarstar's eyes whenever he looked at you!" Lionpaw exclaimed, wishing she hadn't lied in the beginning. Scarletberry's eyes narrowed into slits. "So you went to tell Griffonpaw even though you weren't positive?" the ginger warrior sounded hurt when she spoke. Lionpaw began praying to StarClan that she could just disappear and have the conversation end, but the apprentice knew that was the price she had to pay in order to make sure she became a warrior. However, Lionpaw couldn't help but to wonder if all the lies were really worth it. To make sure Scarletberry wasn't left hanging, Lionpaw quickly replied, "Griffonpaw was just telling me how she's been noticing the looks too."

"I'm very ashamed, Lionpaw." Scarletberry bellowed, unsheathing a pair of claws. The warrior raised her paw into the air, preparing to strike. There was no pity in the ginger warrior's gaze as she began to lash the claws down toward Lionpaw's face. The golden-brown apprentice tensed and ducked her head down.

"What in the name of StarClan are you doing?" Lunarstar snarled. Scarletberry's claws stopped mid-way in the air when the ginger warrior heard the tabby's voice. Lionpaw cautiously glanced up just in time to see Scarletberry's claws sheathe and her paw slam down to the ground. The apprentice flinched from the force of the stomp and began to back away slowly as Scarletberry turned her head to face her leader.

"The apprentices need more discipline if they are to become proper warriors of ShadowClan." Scarletberry insisted, trying to keep her neck fur from rising. Lunarstar glimpsed at Lionpaw for a moment and then looked back at his warrior. "I can handle the actions of my apprentice," the tomcat calmly advised, "It would have been better if you reported her behavior rather than taking matters into your own paws."

"I know what I'm doing!" Scarletberry argued, taking a threatening step toward her leader. Lunarstar stiffened, but his hazel eyes didn't lower from the she-cat's amber gaze as he continued to speak. "I have no doubt in your skills and I have my complete trust you in. But, I'm afraid that punishing my apprentice is not the best decision." Scarletberry's eyes widened in shock.

"Are you calling yourself weak?" the ginger warrior challenged, tail lashing. Lunarstar closed his eyes and turned away. "No," he murmured, "It only means I have compassion."

"Come and speak with me in my den." Lunarstar instructed Scarletberry, flicking his tail in dismissal. The dark tabby's gaze shifted over to Lionpaw and they narrowed. "I will deal with you later. For now, go and get some sleep; we have an early day tomorrow." Lionpaw opened her mouth to defend herself, but Lunarstar was already padding away with Scarletberry at his side. Scarletberry's fur was still bristling from the tension between her and her leader, but she never left Lunarstar's side when they entered his den. Lionpaw watched them go a moment longer before dragging herself to the entrance of the apprentice's den. Because she was so tired from everything that happened, she didn't hesitate to drop into her nest, close her eyes, and fall asleep.

"You let me down, Lionpaw." Lunarstar mewed in a dark tone early the next morning. Lionpaw was sitting in front of the tabby leader with her paws tucked in front of her and her head bowed down in dismay. Lunarstar had told her that they wouldn't be training and for the rest of the day it was Lionpaw's duty to renew every warrior's bedding and search them for ticks or fleas. For now, the two of them were discussing what had happened the previous day and how Scarletberry told her part of the story. After finishing telling Scarletberry's point of view, Lunarstar gave his apprentice permission to speak with a bow of his head.

"I lied to her!" Lionpaw admitted, her eyes stretched wide in grief. "But I wished I hadn't!" Lunarstar's eyes darkened. "Then why did you lie?" he demanded, the tip of his tail twitching crossly. Lionpaw looked away from her mentor in guilt. She wished she could spill all of her feelings out to the tabby, but she knew that she couldn't if she still wanted to become a warrior of ShadowClan. "Griffonpaw told me something that I was afraid to share with anyone else, so I had to find an excuse." the golden-brown she-cat added to her defense.

"So you came up with the whole gossiping story." Lunarstar ended her sentence, his hazel eyes holding no expression as he looked at the apprentice. Lionpaw nodded her head, not knowing what else to do. "I swear to StarClan that I wasn't talking behind anyone's back. I just made up the rumor and I didn't mean for it to be true." she promised, looking up cautiously at the tabby. To the she-cat's relief, Lunarstar looked satisfied and relieved.

"Thank you for telling me the truth," the ShadowClan leader bowed his head respectively. Lionpaw wished for the warm feeling Lunarstar always gave her, but all her guilt prevented her from enjoying the moment of being free.

"Does this mean I can go now and get to my duties?" Lionpaw asked, her pelt itching to leave. Lunarstar raised his tail before the apprentice could dart out of the den. He closed his eyes thoughtfully. "I want one more thing." he replied. Lionpaw felt her heart drop into her paws; she was afraid that there was something else she did wrong that she had to be punished for.

"What do you need?" Lionpaw dared to demand. Lunarstar's eyelids opened and stared right at Lionpaw. With a smile on his face, he whispered, "Would you like to go to the Gathering with your clanmates tonight?"


	5. Chapter 4 The Gathering

"The cats that are going to the Gathering are Twistedtail, Scarletberry, Silverstorm, Whitewind, Patchfoot, Thistlepaw, and Lionpaw." Lunarstar announced that night from the edge of Darkstone. Rowanpaw snorted beside Lionpaw and gave an irritated lash of her tail. "Even when you get in trouble you always seem to be our leader's favorite." the brown she-cat muttered to Lionpaw. Thistlepaw glared at his sister from the other side of Lionpaw. "You've been to plenty of Gatherings, Rowanpaw, and this is Lionpaw's first." Rowanpaw looked frustrated as she dug her claws into the soft soil beneath her. "But I want to see what WindClan does tonight!"

"Apprentices, hurry up!" Moonshine called over her shoulder from the entrance to the camp. Thistlepaw stood straight up in surprise and smiled apologetically at Rowanpaw. "I promise I'll give you the scoop on everything when I get back." Lionpaw nodded her head in agreement, but Rowanpaw still looked envious as she watched her clanmates leave without her. "Be sure to remind WindClan to stay off of our borders!" the brown she-cat yowled after them.

"Thistlepaw, do you think Rowanpaw is mad at me?" Lionpaw asked sadly after they reached the ravine. The silver tom paused after he had leaped onto a steep ledge and looked down at the golden-brown apprentice with sympathetic eyes. "I wouldn't worry about it; she's always like that whenever she's not invited to go to the Gathering." Lionpaw bounded up to him and slowly continued to climb. "I don't know," she confessed, "It probably wasn't fair for Lunarstar to allow me to go when I made up that lie." Thistlepaw rolled his eyes as he crouched down and wriggled his haunches. With a strong leap, the tom landed on a higher ledge two fox-lengths from the top. He turned his gaze back down to his clanmate and calmly licked a dirty paw. "He probably wanted to introduce your arrival to the other Clans. Besides, it is a part of your training to learn about our enemies." Lionpaw's eyes widened in protest. "But—" the apprentice was interrupted when Patchfoot glared at them from up high.

"Stop talking and get walking! ShadowClan doesn't want to be late!" the new warrior snarled, disappearing over the top of the ravine. Thistlepaw and Lionpaw shared an annoyed glance, and Thistlepaw just gave his clanmate a shrug. They continued climbing in utter silence until they had reached the top and walked side-by-side together.

"What _are _the other Clans like?" Lionpaw demanded, her eyes beginning to brighten. Thistlepaw gave out a sigh. "WindClan is trying to announce war on all the other Clans, ThunderClan is acting superior as usual, and RiverClan think they control all of the rivers in the four territories. Anything else you want to know?" Lionpaw purred in amusement. "Tell me more about the other leaders. What do they look like?"

"You will _see _the leaders if we get to the Gathering on time. Now shut up and move!" Scarletberry growled in front of them, her amber eyes cold and annoyed. Before Lionpaw could apologize, the ginger warrior darted up to the front to walk beside Lunarstar. Lionpaw's tail drooped and her paws began to drag behind her as she walked. Thistlepaw nudged her and gave her a wide smile. "Scarletberry will come around, you'll see." he tried to sound positive about his words, but Lionpaw knew he was just trying to make her feel better. With a tired sigh, she whispered back, "I hope so."

ShadowClan was the last to arrive at the Gathering. Lionpaw's eyes stretched wide in amazement as the scents of the other Clans hit her nostrils and filled the wide clearing. In the middle of the large meeting area were four, large stones sitting in front each of the individual territories. Three large, muscular cats were already seated at the top of three out of the four stones. "Those are the leaders of the other Clans," Thistlepaw whispered into Lionpaw's ear, "And right below them are their deputies." Lionpaw peeked behind ShadowClan's stone to see three more cats standing beneath each of their leaders. The apprentice blinked in surprise as the deputies began speaking with one another in hushed voices. _I thought we were all enemies. _Lionpaw thought in confusion.

Lunarstar bounded forward and with a magnificent leap, he landed nimbly at the top of ShadowClan's stone. Moonshine padded from the crowd of warriors and toward the other deputies where they greeted her with curt nods. As if on command, the ShadowClan cats departed from each other and went to separate groups from separate Clans.

"Why don't we stay with our own Clan?" Lionpaw demanded to Thistlepaw. The silver tom's eyes twinkled with amusement. "The Gathering is a place where all four Clans gather together beneath the full moon. Before the leaders address what had happened the past moon, we are allowed to speak with cats from other Clans. As long as the moon is high, we are under a truce not to attack." Lionpaw looked warily at the other Clans. "But who do I trust?" she asked, her eyes widening. Thistlepaw shook his head. "No one," he replied, "In fact, the other Clans might try to get information out of you while you're the new one in the Clan." Lionpaw silently wished she would never get into that position. "I promise I'll be careful, but who do I speak with first?" Thistlepaw flicked his tail at his clanmate to follow. "I have some cats I would like you to meet." As much as she didn't want to, Lionpaw followed.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet the newest edition to ShadowClan, Lionpaw!" Thistlepaw exclaimed as they reached a group of apprentices. Lionpaw's ears went flat against her head when the apprentices turned around to look at her.

"Newest edition, huh?" a golden tabby she-cat scoffed, wrinkling her nose. "She certainly smells enough of ShadowClan to be one." Lionpaw felt hollow as she leaned against Thistlepaw for comfort. The silver tom didn't flinch from the tabby's comment, but he rolled his eyes. "I'm surprised RiverClan hasn't made you a warrior yet. Does Drizzlestar even know that his Clan needs more warriors, not apprentices?" The tabby gave out a snort of disbelief. "Very funny." she growled.

"Why don't you all introduce yourselves to Lionpaw?" Thistlepaw suggested, ignoring the tabby again. Lionpaw blinked in surprise at her clanmate. _Why do I need to know them if we're just going to fight after tonight? _

"I'm Adderpaw, the eldest apprentice in RiverClan." the tabby stated proudly while she raised her chin and puffed out her golden fur. With a glare at Thistlepaw, she also added, "I'm _almost _a warrior." Thistlepaw said nothing back but acknowledged her with a flick of his ear. Lionpaw became wary when she saw Adderpaw glowering at Thistlepaw with eyes as cold as ice. She started to fear that the RiverClan apprentice would attack her clanmate, and she quickly unsheathed her claws. Out of the corner of her eyes, Adderpaw could see Lionpaw's swift actions. She turned her attention to the other ShadowClan apprentice and raised a suspicious eye while staring at Lionpaw's claws.

"Are you thinking of...attacking me?" the large RiverClan apprentice demanded, her lips curling back into a snarl. Lionpaw hid her claws back into their sockets before the other cats could see them. She certainly didn't want any trouble to arise and be the one to blame for it; Lionpaw was hoping that she could sit through the whole meeting with her clanmates, the ones she could trust to back her up in case something happened. Though Thistlepaw's support was necessary, Lionpaw still didn't feel comfortable being around her enemies.

"Lionpaw's just worried about her first Gathering," Thistlepaw stated as if nothing bad happened. Though his expression showed none, Lionpaw could see the warning look in her clanmate's eyes. She immediately began to feeling guilty. _I'm really sorry, _she thought apologetically and reminded herself to tell Thistlepaw the same thing later.

"Adderpaw, stop play-fighting and leave the new apprentice alone." a white tom growled from behind the tabby. Lionpaw glanced over the RiverClan apprentice and blinked when she noticed the tom's glowing, green eyes staring right at her. He was sitting in Adderpaw's shadow so his ginger spots looked like dark droplets of blood along his pelt. One paw was stretched out into the light with its claws unsheathed. The white, clean surface reflected the moon's light and turned the claws into a shade of beautiful silver. Even in the dark, Lionpaw could see the tom's rippling muscles despite his puny size. His chest was bigger than Adderpaw's and his snout was a little more outwards like a dog.

"You're always too soft on the new ones, Wolfpaw." Adderpaw gave out a disappointed sigh and looked over her shoulder at the tomcat. Lionpaw tilted her head slightly. "Wolfpaw?" she echoed. The white tom stood up onto all of his paws and padded into the light. Lionpaw tensed when she realized how small yet muscular the apprentice was. With one swipe, he could easily throw Lionpaw off of her own paws. "That is me. My name is Wolfpaw." the tom bellowed.

"He's from RiverClan like Adderpaw." Thistlepaw added when he noticed Lionpaw's confused face. Wolfpaw bowed his head in deep welcome. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lionpaw." He greeted the ShadowClan apprentice with such respect that Lionpaw felt flattered. She shyly began to back away. "Th—Thank you." she stammered.

"We best be going," Adderpaw mewed hastily, "The Gathering is about to start anyway." Before Wolfpaw could object, the tabby whirled around and padded to the group of RiverClan warriors. Lionpaw's ears turned hot as Wolfpaw's gaze traveled to each apprentice and eventually landed on her. He stared at the ShadowClan apprentice a moment longer before flicking his tail in farewell and following his clanmate to his own Clan.

"As you can see, the RiverClan cats are strong and well-fed because of the plentiful fish in the river." Thistlepaw explained to Lionpaw once the RiverClan apprentices were well out of ear-shot. Lionpaw easily remembered Wolfpaw's muscular limbs and smooth, slick fur. She gazed at her clanmate in interest. "That is all because of the river?" Lionpaw asked curiously. Thistlepaw gave out a gentle purr. "Not only does their strength come from eating, but from training too." Lionpaw felt embarrassed asking such a dumb question in front of the other apprentices, but she was relieved to find them giving her sympathetic laughs.

"WindClan cats eat rabbit from the moorland," a golden she-cat with brown and black spots pointed out, her amber eyes shining. Lionpaw was amazed at the apprentice's knowledge. "How do you know that?" she wondered, her ears pricking up in interest. Thistlepaw gave Lionpaw a worried look. "Cheetahpaw is a WindClan cat; though she has the same blood as her clanmates, she does not act like them." the silver tom clarified, causing Lionpaw's eyes to open wide with shock.

"I—I'm so sorry!" the ShadowClan apprentice exclaimed. Cheetahpaw rose her chin in pride. "Don't be sorry. You and I both disagree with what my Clan has been doing for the past several moons, but I hope to bring back my Clan's proud history instead of destroying it." Thistlepaw rested his tail along Lionpaw's shoulders as comfort. "Cheetahpaw is the only cat in WindClan that is brave enough to talk with cats from other Clans. Ivystar doesn't stop her because she sees it as an opportunity to get information from their enemies." he construed. Cheetahpaw let out a troubled sigh. "Because of Ivystar," she whispered, "I have to tell her of your arrival, Lionpaw."

"What kind of things do you tell Ivystar?" Lionpaw inquired, feeling rather uncomfortable talking to the WindClan apprentice. Cheetahpaw looked troubled as she spoke. "I tell my leader mostly when there are new warriors, apprentices, or kits in the other Clans. I share with her deaths that had happened or if anyone is becoming mates. Truthfully, I try to avoid giving away the other Clans' strengths and weaknesses." Lionpaw raised an eye at her. "So does that mean I can trust you?" she demanded. Cheetahpaw gave a solemn dip of her head, her eyes clouded with pain. "At least, the WindClan cat murmured, "I hope so."

The last apprentice, a familiar black she-cat padded forward and gave Cheetahpaw a comforting lick against her ear. Lionpaw knew she had seen the black cat's blue eyes before and she remembered her scent like it was a lost memory. The scent was not WindClan because it didn't smell anything like Cheetahpaw and it couldn't be RiverClan because it didn't smell of the river or fish. The she-cat was not Lionpaw's clanmate so she didn't belong to ShadowClan. That left the scent in ThunderClan. _ThunderClan..._Lionpaw thought hard, _Where have I heard that before? _

_"__I'm leaving the barn to join a Clan that lives at the edge of these woods." _Lionpaw distinctively recognized the voice. It had belonged to Coco right before he had left his former home to join a black she-cat in a Clan. That was it. This apprentice was the she-cat that had taken Coco away right before Lionpaw's eyes.

"From the look in your eyes I can tell you remember who I am." the black she-cat observed, her blue eyes showing no emotion. Lionpaw froze as the ThunderClan cat drew away from Cheetahpaw's side and padded closer toward her. The she-cat stopped a fox-length away from Lionpaw and stared at the ShadowClan apprentice through narrowed eyes.

"My name is Nightpaw and I'm an apprentice in ThunderClan. My father is the ThunderClan leader and my mother is a traitor that chose another mate and gave him a kit. Coco, your friend, was the cat that understood my pain so I met with him frequently. I taught him about my life as a cat of ThunderClan and he told me about his life in the barn. He got so interested in the way I lived that he happily offered himself to become a warrior. Through some pleading my father eventually agreed to let him in. I must say, Lionpaw, he is quite happier here than he was then."

"Shut up," Lionpaw snarled, her tail lashing. "Though he wasn't proud in the way he lived he still loved his family!" Nightpaw's eyes softened on the ShadowClan apprentice with pity. "You didn't hear? He said he hated you with every last feeling he had. Does that sound like love to you?"

"I said, shut up!" Lionpaw roared, bending down into a crouch. Nightpaw flicked her tail dismissively. "You can't attack me during a Gathering, remember?" The black she-cat's whiskers twitched mockingly as she turned her back to the apprentices and began walking away. Nightpaw suddenly stopped and glanced over her shoulder. "I bet he's going to be enthusiastic to hear that you're now his _enemy_." Lionpaw opened her mouth to argue back, but Thistlepaw quickly smacked his paw over her lips. Nightpaw purred in amusement and stalked away into the shadows of her clanmates.

"What were you thinking?" Thistlepaw scolded, his ears flat against his head. Lionpaw pushed away the tom's paw only to finally notice that Cheetahpaw was no longer with them. "Where did she go?" Lionpaw asked, her eyes searching for a golden-spotted pelt. Thistlepaw gave out an annoyed sigh. "She left while you and Nightpaw were still bickering. Speaking of which, that is _not _how you act during a Gathering." The silver tom sounded cross as he spoke. But before Thistlepaw could continue lecturing Lionpaw, a yowl sounded from the four stones in the middle of the clearing.

"Hurry, the Gathering is starting!" Thistlepaw gasped, beginning to nudge Lionpaw toward the group of ShadowClan warriors. "I can walk myself, thanks!" Lionpaw hissed in a whisper. She moved her paws a little faster than her clanmate so that he was no longer pushing her. The golden-brown apprentice raced to an open spot beside Whitewind and settled down beside the white warrior. Thistlepaw took seat next to Lionpaw and curved his ears toward the four leaders on the rocks. Lionpaw blinked gratefully at the silver tom and looked up just as Lunarstar began to speak.

"Welcome to the Gathering!" the dark tabby's voice echoed into the open sky. Before Lunarstar could share his speech, a white she-cat interrupted him with a hiss. "WindClan shall speak first!" she insisted, her green eyes narrowing. A huge black tom let his ears lay flat against his head. "WindClan has always spoken first for the past Gatherings, Ivystar! The other Clans deserve a turn too!" he snarled. Lionpaw blinked at the bristling, white she-cat. _So that's Ivystar. _

"If that's what you think, Smokestar, then ThunderClan may start by WindClan's approval." Ivystar replied, forcing herself to calm down. Smokestar rolled his eyes at the she-cat and turned to the other Clan leaders. "ThunderClan has plenty of prey this greenleaf and we are sure to be prepared for leaf-fall and leaf-bare. We also have two new apprentices, Cobrapaw and Crowpaw." Lionpaw stiffened when she saw the two apprentices sitting in the front of the ThunderClan group. One was a small, black tom with wide, blue eyes and the other was Coco, a brown tabby with orange eyes. The black tom looked nervous with his fur fluffed out and his ears flat against his head. Coco, no—_Cobrapaw _portrayed nothing else but pride. His strong muscles rippled as he puffed out his chest and rose his chin to let in the cheers of his name. Lionpaw reluctantly joined, but only whispered his Clan name in a soft whisper that barely she could hear. After the cheers had died down, Smokestar nodded his head to a blue-gray tabby tom for him to proceed. Ivystar lashed her tail in annoyance at not being called next.

"RiverClan his also thriving thanks to our abundant supply in the river." the tabby rose his voice so that everybody could hear. His dark, blue eyes glistened like ice as he continued, "RiverClan has one new warrior and three new apprentices: Eaglefeather, Wolfpaw, Rainpaw, and Sweetpaw. Dewdrop has agreed to take Sweetpaw on as an apprentice to train her to become a medicine cat." Lionpaw didn't hesitate to raise her voice for the RiverClan cats; it was the only other Clan that didn't do anything to hurt Lionpaw unlike ThunderClan and WindClan.

"ShadowClan will go next!" Lunarstar yowled once the cheers died down. Ivystar's eyes were burning with rage while her mouth was parted open to declare her turn. However, Lunarstar had beat her to it. She obediently closed her jaws and lashed her tail impatiently while Lunarstar spoke.

"Prey is plentiful in ShadowClan, and we have two new warriors: Patchfoot and Whitewind." Lionpaw glanced at Whitewind to see the white warrior's eyes gleaming in happiness. Patchfoot was nowhere to be seen, but Lionpaw could easily imagine the tom looking pleased with himself. With waited breath, Lionpaw patiently listened for her turn to be announced to the other Clans. Just as expected, Lunarstar added humbly, "We also have one new apprentice: Lionpaw."

The same welcoming cheers rose up from the Clans. Lionpaw smiled as her name was spoken by not only her own clanmates, but from experienced warriors from other Clans. She felt proud to be called an apprentice of ShadowClan and she silently vowed that she would do her best to defend her Clan. But her hopes shattered when her eyes met Cobrapaw's. The brown tabby was staring at her in what seemed shock and confusion. When Lionpaw thought that he would smile back at her like he always did in the barn, his face fell into a grimace and his eyes narrowed. Lionpaw quickly looked away from Cobrapaw and waited until the call of her name gradually softened to silence.

"WindClan's warriors are strong and are _always _defending their borders. We have two new warriors and three new apprentices: Kriatheart, Torneye, Cheetahpaw, Willowpaw, and Dustpaw." Ivystar reported, looking relieved to finally speak. However, anger took over the WindClan leader again when only the WindClan cats cheered the warriors' and apprentice's names. Her neck fur rose and her lips curled back into a menacing snarl. "Cheer for my Clan!" she roared, her claws digging into the tough surface of the stone. In fear, the RiverClan cats joined the cheer and only a few voices came from ThunderClan. Thankfully, it was enough to please the WindClan leader.

"WindClan has also brought in two outsiders and made them warriors. Though they don't have proper warrior names, they are still warriors nonetheless." Ivystar continued, flicking her tail in command. Two shadowy cats stepped away from the WindClan crowd and stood side-by-side in the center of the clearing. Lionpaw's fur rose when she saw the large size of a dark, ginger tom. His muscles were bulging and his claws were so long that they were already curved out of their sockets. There was a look in the tom's pure, red eyes that made him feel untrustworthy. The ginger tom's companion was buff like him, but smaller in size. His pelt had black-and-white fur and his eyes were a strange, gray color that made him look blind. But by the way he was looking at the other cats, Lionpaw knew he had eyesight.

"I welcome you Flash and Scepter." Ivystar explained, her eyes beaming while she stared at the strong cats below her. No one cheered for the strangers, not even from WindClan. But surprisingly, the two cats didn't mind.

"We promise to serve our rightful leader and obey until our last breath." Flash, the ginger tom, vowed in a low voice. Scepter repeated the same exact words and both of them bowed their heads down. Lionpaw felt a knot tie into her stomach. How could Ivystar trust such shadowy cats? More importantly, would these strange cats bring harm to WindClan, even brave Cheetahpaw?

"The Gathering is at end!" Ivystar announced, leaping from her rock and joining her Clan. WindClan disappeared into their own territory with the two strangers taking the rear. Flash stopped at the edge of the clearing and glanced back at the other Clans before leaping after his clanmates. Lionpaw shivered from the look in the cat's blood, red eyes and leaned against Thistlepaw for comfort. The silver tom gave her a reassuring lick on the ear. "They're gone." he reminded her.

"Lionpaw," a voice murmured beside her. Lionpaw looked up, expecting Thistlepaw to be talking to her. However, the tomcat's eyes were fixed on a cat on the other side of her. "Leave," Thistlepaw snarled, "She has nothing left with you!" Lionpaw lifted her head from Thistlepaw's shoulder and turned around to see Cobrapaw.

"We're sharing tongues before we leave, and I would like to speak with Lionpaw." Cobrapaw mewed calmly. A growl began to rise in Thistlepaw's throat, but Lionpaw rested her tail along his shoulders to calm him. "You go on ahead," she encouraged, "I—I'll be alright." Thistlepaw gave the ThunderClan apprentice one last glare before retreating to a group of RiverClan warriors. Lionpaw watched him go longingly and silently wished that he had stayed by her side. However, she knew she had to face Cobrapaw alone. Her gaze swept to Cobrapaw's orange eyes and she stared at him expectantly. "Well?" she asked.

"I thought you were staying with Dandelion to keep her company. Why did you join ShadowClan?" Cobrapaw demanded, worry edging his voice. Lionpaw could see distress in his gaze. "Lunarstar sent a loner her way to make sure she wasn't lonely." she pointed out. "Everything is fine." Cobrapaw's eyes flashed in anger.

"No, everything is _not _fine! You were supposed to stay in the barn and comfort my mother! _That _is your destiny, Lion!" the brown tabby hissed, arching his back. Lionpaw flinched. It had been a while since she was called by her loner name and she was not going to let if fly over her head. "My name is Lion_paw_." she argued, tail lashing. Cobrapaw thrust his muzzle in front of Lionpaw's face. "Your mother abandoned you and you were adopted by my own parents! It is your responsibility to pay back what they had done for you!"

"You told me that I had to find my path of destiny, and my heart led me into the forest like you!" Lionpaw protested. Tears began to form at the edge of her eyes. After a long time of being separated and finally reuniting with her best friend, they argued the first time they spoke. Lionpaw was trying to defend her choice and Cobrapaw was attacking her with such hatred that Lionpaw felt she was about to crumble to the ground and drown in tears. The dark feelings were too unbearable to stand.

"What's done is done and I can't change a thing." Cobrapaw snarled, his eyes darkening on Lionpaw. "You put yourself in this position and I am only bringing the consequences. You and I are now enemies forever and always." Lionpaw's claws dug into the ground and she clenched her teeth in pain. "I will not hesitate to lay my claws on you." she promised, trying to stand tall. Cobrapaw smirked as he leaned into the she-cat's face. "Be prepared, because I won't go easy on you."

"Fine!" Lionpaw snapped, flinging her head away from him. There, where he couldn't see her, she began to let her tears fall. "I don't care if we're enemies! I don't care if you're mates with that stupid she-cat of yours! And I don't care if we're not friends! I'll always hate you, not matter what happens between us! You hear me? I _hate _you!" The golden-brown apprentice began letting out soft whimpers to soothe herself. Though her ears were turned back to her head, she could still hear the padding of Cobrapaw's paws as he walked away. Lionpaw didn't make an effort to move and instead continued to weep. "I hate you more," Cobrapaw suddenly shot back, and Lionpaw could feel his orange gaze burning on her from afar. The ThunderClan apprentice proceeded walking, eventually disappearing into the shadows. His tail whisked behind him and he was gone.

"Mistfang, I know you're out there!" Lionpaw yowled, her voice echoing in the realms of her dream. She was standing high on a podium with a brilliant, shining star design beneath her paws. All around her were four separate territories: fast rivers, loud forests, windy plains, and shadowy passages. The sun above her head made all the territories glow, and Lionpaw was blinded by the light until she blinked to readjust her vision. The apprentice did not expect to look over and see Mistfang sitting beside her. Instead, she jumped in surprise.

"You called?" Mistfang asked calmly. Lionpaw took a moment to catch her breath before giving the dead warrior a glare. She thought scolding him, then thought better of it. After all, he did appear on Lionpaw's command.

"I have some news to discuss about the Gathering." Lionpaw explained, pushing away the annoyed feeling that nagged her. Mistfang let out a sigh and shifted his gaze toward the windy plains below them. He sat there in silence before flicking his tail at her to continue. "Cobrapaw of ThunderClan wants me dead because I left his mother to fend for herself in the barn," Lionpaw proceeded with a troubled look on her face.

"You still care about that flea-pelt?" Mistfang demanded, his fur bristling in shock. Lionpaw met his hazel eyes and flinched when she saw anger in them. The light gray tom snorted in disbelief with his ears flat against his head. "He is the last thing you need to worry about; as a member of ShadowClan you need to focus on doing what's best to protect your Clan. Remember that he _is _the enemy.

"But he's my best friend!" Lionpaw protested, her eyes stretching wide. Mistfang gave the apprentice a cold glare.

"Forget about him, Lionpaw," Mistfang insisted, "Worrying about a cat from another Clan makes you a traitor, and I know you're better off without that lousy loner ordering you around." Lionpaw knew he was right. Ever since she was brought into the barn Cobrapaw was the one that made sure she understood her responsibilities. She could remember the stern look in his blazing, orange eyes as he explained the importance of following Dandelion's rules and how Lionpaw had to do whatever the queen asked of her. Lionpaw had listened to him and took great care of Dandelion, but in the midst of her work Cobrapaw began getting used to telling her what to do. Because of her obedience, Lionpaw always did whatever he asked of her, and she had to admit she was tired of it.

"Anyway," Mistfang further mewed, interrupting Lionpaw's thoughts. Lionpaw pushed the image of Cobrapaw to the back of her mind and focused back on the light gray tom next to her. She looked up to meet the dead warrior's shining, hazel eyes. "There are more important matters to be dealt with," Mistfang's voice was grim as he spoke.

"Like what?" Lionpaw inquired, raising an eye.

"From what I heard, WindClan has supposedly let in two outsiders into the Clan and made them warriors," Mistfang stated. "Did you see them at the Gathering?" Lionpaw gave him a curt nod of her head. How could she have forgotten their shadowy forms and weird-colored eyes? "They're not ordinary outsiders," Mistfang continued, "They're more like servants."

"Servants of who?" Lionpaw demanded.

"The Shattered Stars," Mistfang murmured back. As if on command, the plant life in the windy plains began to wither and die. The whipping wind Lionpaw once felt on her face slowed down until it was no longer blowing. A shadow fell across the moorlands and began to spread across the rest of the territory. Mistfang stared back at the shadow with a cold look in his eyes. "Ivystar has made a mistake of trusting them, and now WindClan will be the first to fall." The shadow began to stretch farther and farther until all of the plains were covered in darkness. A new breeze began to start, but it carried the stench of smoke, blood, and death. Lionpaw could hear the faint cries of WindClan warriors, even the apprentice she admired out of all of them: Cheetahpaw.

"No," Lionpaw whispered, eyes stretching wide in fear. The shadows suddenly poured out of the borders of the plains and into the loud, forest territory that represented ThunderClan. The trees burst aflame, thinned, and blackened. The booming thunder was blocked out by the sounds of screams of ThunderClan cats. Lionpaw blinked in shock when she heard the pleas from Nightpaw and Cobrapaw in the distance. She felt a small feeling of satisfaction, then immediately felt sick. _Why would I want them to hurt? Was it because they hurt _me_? _

"The other Clans will soon fall and leave ShadowClan as the last Clan standing," Mistfang explained, his paw following the movements of the shadows. The darkness dipped into the rivers of RiverClan territory and blood emerged from its trail. Lionpaw could hear the RiverClan warriors as clearly as the others. All of their cries together made her ears pound and hurt, and Lionpaw was tempted to wake up where her friends could comfort her. However, no matter how hard she tried, Lionpaw's paws would not move from their place, and she forced to fight the noises that filled her ears.

"Will StarClan be able to stop the Shattered Stars?" Lionpaw asked in a small voice, looking up to Mistfang for guidance. The light gray tom glanced back at her with a look in his hazel eyes that Lionpaw could never forget. They looked as if they belonged to a different cat, one that Lionpaw could consider as a stranger. Within their hazel depths Lionpaw could swear she saw touches of green in one eye and blue in the other. They stared back at the apprentice in such coldness that Lionpaw thought she was looking back at the shadows themselves. After a long moment, Mistfang finally spoke, but it wasn't his voice.

"StarClan's power is nothing compared to the Shattered Stars. Those dead cats will perish along with their precious Clans, and there will be no one with the power to stop the shadows from spreading. Time is already turning; soon it will be too late. Unless the Clans will want to survive, they will have to stop their quarrels and fight together as one." Mistfang's eyes softened on Lionpaw and a smirk curved up at the edges of his lips. "How could someone such as young as you be able to handle such a task?" Lionpaw tensed and her whole body began to tremble.

"You're not Mistfang!" Lionpaw exclaimed, "Who are you?"

"My name will not be revealed until the time comes, impatient one," the look-alike of Mistfang bellowed, "But until then you will refer to me as the Shattered Stars." The shadows from three of the four territories began to climb the podium and slither their way up toward the two cats at the top. Lionpaw could feel the podium beginning to sway with the power of the darkness. The star beneath her paws lit with a brilliant energy and shot its rays up to the sky. The rays swirled and raged down to lash at the shadows. Lionpaw saw the shadows begin to rear back from the strike, but it quickly overcame the attack and swallowed the light in a wave of darkness. She blinked in shock when she realized that the shadows were coming straight for her. They pounced, wrapping around Lionpaw's body and pulling her to the ground.

"Foolish girl," the Shattered Stars chuckled, "Prepare to meet your destiny." The look-alike dove into the star beneath them and the perfect shape of the star cracked and shattered. Lionpaw could feel the last remaining light from the star disappear, leaving the heavy fog of darkness to choke her. More stems from the shadows gripped her, and soon Lionpaw's strength alone was not enough to keep her mouth accessible to the open air. Before Lionpaw was pulled under, she caught a glimpse of her territory being swallowed up by shadows and heard the ear-splitting cry of Mistfang.

**Lionpaw finally understands what she has to do, but what happened to Mistfang? Thanks for all of the reviews! Chapter Five will be out once I finish it. **


	6. Chapter 5 The Truth

**Sorry, haven't been uploading it what seems like forever. The story is going very slow, and I admit, I haven't been working very hard on it, but I will eventually get each chapter up. For those who have reviewed, thanks! It lets me know I'm doing a good job! :D No one has to review, but it would be appreciated. Well, anyway, on to Chapter Five! **

Lionpaw awoke with a gasp, her whole body giving out a shudder. The vivid images of her dream clung to her mind like brambles in her pelt; it would take time to get them out, but for now, they were to remain. Out of all the things that she saw and heard, Lionpaw could not get the thought of Mistfang out of her head. Those strange eyes, both different colors. But the way they looked at her...she could easily freeze under that stare. Lionpaw cringed as she recalled the moment when she stared deep into the eyes of Mistfang's, only to see those of the shadows. Even if it was just a dream, speaking with the shadows directly had drained all of Lionpaw's energy, making her barely able to breathe. For some reason, Lionpaw knew that this wouldn't be the last time she would encounter that enemy. However, if she was to face the problem, she would have to warn her Clanmates. But, who would she talk to first?

_Lunarstar_. Lionpaw carefully stood onto her paws, staggering slightly from the weak, trembling feeling in her limbs. The golden-brown she-cat slowly made her way past the sleeping bodies of her denmates, not wanting to wake them from their peaceful slumber. Thistlepaw's ear twitched when Lionpaw stepped by him, but he let out a cool sigh and didn't stir. Lionpaw's raised her paw to take another step. Suddenly, she found herself staring at the sleeping tom below her. Her eyes wandered upward, and she could see Griffonpaw snuggling close to him. In her sleep, the usual, possessive she-cat was smiling, looking quite happy to be by Thistlepaw's side. Lionpaw blinked at the two of them, and then turned away. She hopped over Rowanpaw on the way out of the apprentice den, and as she slipped through the shadows of the clearing, Lionpaw couldn't help but to feel jealous.

Lionpaw stopped at the entrance of her leader's den. Her ears pricked up, listening closely to any sound that would tell her Lunarstar was awake. However, there were no signs whatsoever. Picking up her courage by puffing out her chest, the apprentice disappeared into the cave, her tail whisking behind her.

"Lunarstar?" Lionpaw called out, her voice echoing along the walls of the stone den. The scratching of claws answered her, and the she-cat flinched from the unpleasant sound. She blinked several times, adjusting her eyes to the extreme darkness, and peered into the large area that marked the end of the cave. Lionpaw's eyes stretched wide when she made out the figure of Lunarstar, standing on his hind legs by one of the walls in his den. His front paw was stretched onto the surface, his claws unsheathed and raking the stone. The tom's ears were drawn back, his face hidden in the shadows. Lionpaw cautiously moved forward, but her stomach lurched when her paw landed in a puddle of water. Immediately, Lunarstar's head raised, and he turned around so he could face the apprentice with a narrowed glare. When he made out the she-cat in the shadows, his eyes softened.

"Lionpaw? What are you doing up so late?" Lunarstar demanded, getting back down onto all fours. The apprentice ducked her head down as she padded out of her hiding place. She was ashamed to have caught her leader at such a time, but she knew that she had to spread the warning. Something was happening, something that would change the history of the Clans forever.

"I had a...dream," Lionpaw began, trying to think back to what she saw. The four territories. The podium. The star. Mistfang. All of which were pieces that showed her the future of her home. Lionpaw's fur began to prickle at the thought of shadows overwhelming each of the Clans, and she knew that there had to be some way to stop it. But how could an apprentice hold such a task? She didn't have the wisdom of the warriors in ShadowClan, let alone a good understanding of the warrior code. To add to that, Lionpaw wasn't even Clan born. How was she going to be able to prevent this?

"Did StarClan speak to you? Have they given us a prophecy?" Lunarstar persisted, his hazel eyes wide with curiosity. Lionpaw raised her head to meet his gaze, and she drew her ears back hesitantly.

"The Shattered Stars," she mewed, her voice softer than a whisper. "It's the Shattered Stars."

"Who?" Lunarstar gave her a quizzical look.

"I don't know," Lionpaw admitted, looking away from her leader's confused expression. "Whoever they are, their focus is to annihilate the Clans, bathe it in the shadows. Their comrades, the two rogues that joined WindClan, are supposedly servants of the Shattered Stars."

"So those cats are traitors to their Clan?" Lunarstar asked. Lionpaw nodded her head in response, having no more words to say. The ShadowClan leader's tail tip twitched, and a sigh escaped from his lips. The massive tabby retreated back to his nest, pressing the moss down with his paws before settling in it. He closed his eyes, letting the information he received dwell into his mind. "Those cats should not have been allowed to join WindClan; Ivystar made a mistake when she took them in."

"What can ShadowClan do to stop it?" Lionpaw mewed, concern edging her voice.

"Ivystar cannot see beyond her own ambition, so it will be worthless making amends with her. Fighting could force WindClan to send the rogues away, but I can't risk the safety of my warriors or apprentices. However, I could try and talk with the WindClan deputy; Leaftail is a trustworthy warrior, even though he comes from a different Clan. I'm sure he would devote himself to the benefit of WindClan."

"How can we get the WindClan deputy to talk to us alone? He's always around his Clanmates!"

"Tomorrow, I'll keep watch on the WindClan border with Moonshine and Twistedtail," Lunarstar explained. "Leaftail usually is the one to keep watch on our borders. We will make an excuse to speak with him, and then pass the warning. This would mean a day away from training, so I want you and Rowanpaw to train with Fernpaw and Thistlepaw; they will be working on basic battle skills." Lionpaw dipped her head respectfully, pleased with the new plan. Lunarstar gave her a warm smile, and then flicked his tail in dismissal. "Go back to your denmates and get a good rest; I want you to impress Bearstep with all of the techniques you learned from me."

"Please, let me try one more time!" Fernpaw pleaded, sneezing as dust went up her nose. Lionpaw purred in amusement as she stared at the medicine cat apprentice, her dark gray fur completely covered in sand from the ground in the training clearing. Fernpaw had been repeatedly trying to counterattack Lionpaw's move, but every time she ended up pinned to the ground. However, no matter the many failures Fernpaw had, she was not keen to giving up.

"Hang on," Bearstep rumbled, stepping into the center where the apprentices were facing each other. "I understand you want to prove yourself a worthy opponent, but we first need to focus on where your having trouble." Fernpaw pushed herself up from her crouch, and glared at the brown warrior angrily.

"There's nothing wrong with my counterattack; Lionpaw is just too fast!" she protested.

"Congratulations," Bearstep's whiskers twitched in amusement, "You figured out where you're having trouble. The move you performed was perfect, but you don't know how to defend yourself when the counterattack has been dodged. You're putting too much force on the attack, so when Lionpaw dodges it, she recovers fast enough to unbalance you. Instead, loosen your muscles and put a balanced weight on your attack. That way, you will block Lionpaw's counterattack on your counterattack." Fernpaw kneaded the ground with her paws, trying to level out the pressure she put between them. After unsheathing and sheathing her claws several times, Fernpaw gave a confident nod of her head.

"Okay, I'm ready."

The medicine cat apprentice shook her pelt, lifting the dust off of it. Fernpaw crouched down, shaking her haunches to feel the distributed weight between them. Now prepared, the dark gray she-cat turned her attention to Lionpaw, tail lashing. Lionpaw copied Fernpaw's position, eager to give her friend a chance to prove her skill as a fighter. Bearstep observed their battle crouches, and when he was pleased, his ear flicked, giving them the signal to start.

Lionpaw was the first to launch herself at her opponent, jaws parted, and ready to grip the scruff of the she-cat. Fernpaw swiftly dodged to the side, waiting patiently for Lionpaw to land after her miss. The medicine cat apprentice performed her counterattack, swiping with quick, accurate blows. However, Lionpaw did her usual dodge and forced herself to jump back. This time, Fernpaw quickly recovered and braced herself as Lionpaw leaped toward her. The medicine cat apprentice lashed her tail once before darting forward, twisting her body so she was underneath Lionpaw. With sheathed claws, Fernpaw batted at Lionpaw's exposed belly, unbalancing her as she landed. Pain went through Lionpaw's cheek as she fell, but the pride in her clanmate overwhelmed all of the uncomfortable feelings she experienced.

"Well done," Bearstep purred, a smiling stretching across his face. Fernpaw burst in happiness, pleased to be have been complimented by a warrior. Lionpaw shook the sand from her fur before padding over to the beautiful, dark gray she-cat.

"You did very well," Lionpaw added, touching muzzles with Fernpaw. The medicine cat apprentice purred back in return, accepting the kind gesture.

"Thistlepaw," Bearstep ordered, his eyes darting to his apprentice at the edge of the clearing, "go and practice with Fernpaw. I want to see how you two work together." Thistlepaw blinked in surprise, then obediently stepped into the sandy area. Lionpaw dipped her head respectfully, and then went to join Rowanpaw by a yew bush.

"Your fighting skills have improved," Rowanpaw commented.

"Thanks," Lionpaw smiled, her ear tips turning hot with embarrassment.

"ShadowClan is lucky to have such a talented fighter," Rowanpaw went on. "With WindClan threatening borders, we'll need as many warriors as we can. It would make sense to speed up the training of the apprentices, but it seems like Lunarstar doesn't plan to make us warriors anytime soon."

"What do you think is taking him so long?" Lionpaw asked, her eyes round with curiosity.

"I don't know," Rowanpaw sighed, "but all I know is that Lunarstar is doing what he can. There are fewer kits in the Clan, apprentices make up almost half of all the warriors, and leaf-bare is coming. What can we do?"

"This might sound crazy, but maybe a battle with WindClan is what we need," Lionpaw pointed out, shifting uncomfortably at the thought. Rowanpaw gave her a confused look, but nodded her head for Lionpaw to continue. Giving out a courtesy smile, Lionpaw added, "if Lunarstar realizes how much of a warrior we all are, then he'll have to consider giving us our warrior names. I understand that battles are not good, but it could make us stronger and rank us up in the Clan."

"You could be right," Rowanpaw mewed, but there was a touch of uncertainty in her tone. Lionpaw couldn't blame her; battles weren't the best way to prove yourself worthy for a warrior name, but they were well-trained apprentices, ready for any emergency.

"That's enough training for today," Bearstep finally announced once the sun was beginning to set over the forest tops. Lionpaw let out a yawn and gave out a stretch. It had been a good lesson, even though they were just going through the basics. Once in a while, it felt good to go through the things learned long ago. However, the training activity left Lionpaw exhausted; she was ready to curl up in her den and fall to sleep.

"When we get back to camp," Bearstep mewed, "you can all grab something from the fresh-kill pile and then go to your dens." Lionpaw didn't realize she was hungry until Bearstep mentioned food. Hunger clamped her belly, making the golden-brown apprentice feel drowsy. Rowanpaw nudged Lionpaw lightly, amusement glittering in her eyes.

"You look like you're ready to fall asleep on your paws!"

"I am," Lionpaw sighed, dragging herself after her clanmates and away from the clearing.

When they got back to camp, Lunarstar was standing on the Dark Stone, Moonshine right by his side. The Clan had gathered around them, their ears pricked and listening closely to their leader's words. Lionpaw was slightly disappointed; she wanted to hear all about Lunarstar's plan and how it went with meeting Leaftail by the WindClan border. Afraid of missing any more important information, Lionpaw ran to sit by Scarletberry. The apprentice was afraid the ginger she-cat might snap at her, still angry about her false gossip, but Lionpaw was relieved to find her welcoming. She didn't want Scarletberry to be mad at her forever.

"WindClan will no longer listen to reason!" Lunarstar yowled, his eyes brimming with worry. "I have spoken with the WindClan deputy, and though he admits he is worried about the future of his clanmates, he will not going against his leader's orders. ShadowClan was unsuccessful in getting any valuable information." The ShadowClan leader turned to his deputy on the ledge below him, and he gave her permission to speak with a simple bow of his head. Moonshine immediately stood onto her paws, her fur bristling in rage.

"Lunarstar and I have discussed with each other what ShadowClan will do, and we have come to a final decision!" Silence came after the she-cat's words, and most of the ShadowClan warriors leaned forward, eager to hear what was to be said next. Moonshine lifted her chin proudly, her tail raising triumphantly into the air. "ShadowClan will attack the WindClan camp!"

Battle cries echoed through the clearing, and Lionpaw stiffened uncomfortably from the hungry looks in her clanmates' eyes. The apprentice couldn't help but to look up and notice the concern Lunarstar showed. Though he stood in a position that seemed like he was ready to lead his Clan into battle, he held a solemn expression on his face. Lionpaw's stomach clenched, unsure of what to think or do. Her leader's words were law, but was it worth it to sacrifice the lives of ShadowClan warriors for one nightmare?

"There will be two battle patrols," Moonshine proceeded. "One will be led by Lunarstar, and the other by Twistedtail. Silverstorm, Coalfur, Patchfoot, Rowanpaw, and Griffonpaw will be in Lunarstar's patrol while Goldenpool, Whitewind, Bearstep, and Thistlepaw will go with Twistedtail. We will attack immediately." Lionpaw stared in dismay as the warriors split into the two groups. Lunarstar leaped down from Darkstone, landing nimbly next to Coalfur. The ambitious, black warrior lashed his tail, impatient to get moving. Silverstorm pressed against Coalfur's side, purring when her mate leaned back and gave her a comforting lick on the ear. Patchfoot swiped a paw over his face before joining the leading patrol, his tail straight up in the air. Rowanpaw and Griffonpaw shared an excited glance as they were the last to arrive with the patrol of warriors. Twistedtail waited until Lunarstar led his patrol through the entrance before following, Goldenpool, Whitewind, Bearstep, and Thistlepaw on his tails. Lionpaw watched until the last warrior left, still dumbstruck by the decision Lunarstar and Moonshine made. It was a foolish decision, but part of it seemed right. WindClan needed to be put in their place.

"I need the rest of the warriors and apprentices to protect the camp; the battle might come to us," Moonshine warned, giving a final lash of her tail. The silver she-cat leaped from her perch, beginning to shout orders to her clanmates. Lionpaw couldn't help but let out a sigh; she was still exhausted from earlier training.

"You look tired; go and get something from Spottedheart to wake you up," Scarletberry suggested, flicking her ear in dismissal before joining Moonshine and Mousenose at the base of the Darkstone. As much as she wanted to help, Lionpaw still wanted to go to sleep. However, the golden apprentice fought back the temptation and forced herself to the medicine den, not wanting to be left behind in the fight. Spottedheart was making poultices while Fernpaw sorted through the remaining herbs they had.

"What do you need, Lionpaw?" Spottedheart demanded, not even glancing up at the she-cat. Lionpaw blinked, not realizing that she had been noticed.

"I need an herb to wake me up," she explained.

"Fernpaw!" Spottedheart called out.

"I'm on it!" came the reply. The dark gray apprentice came out of the storage room, leaves in her mouth. She dropped them to the ground and pawed them toward Lionpaw. "These will make you more energetic. Though they might be bitter tasting, it will help you during the battle."

"Thanks," Lionpaw replied, bending down to eat the leaves. Fernpaw was right; they were bitter tasting, making it hard for them to be swallowed. Lionpaw stuck out her tongue afterwards, trying to spit out the last of the remaining taste. She said her thanks to the two cats after she drank from the nearby stream, and then hurried outside to help with the defenses.

"When do you think they'll be back?" Moonshine fretted, the ShadowClan deputy pacing back and forth in the camp clearing. It was already moonhigh, and the two patrols should have returned. By that time, the remaining cats knew the battle would not come to them, and to make themselves useful, one cat patrolled the RiverClan border while the rest hunted to refill the fresh-kill pile. Lionpaw finished the last of her mouse, licking the last traces of scraps away from her lips before burying it. She padded to Scarletberry's side, resting her head against the warrior's foreleg. The apprentice gazed up at the she-cat, but Scarletberry continued to stare at the camp entrance, waited with waited breath.

"Do you think they won the battle?" Mousenose asked, his dark blue eyes glowing in the night. Spottedheart padded out of her den, herbs clamped in her jaws. She dropped them by a pile near Dark Stone, then calmly began grooming herself. Fernpaw followed her mentor out, her tail drooping when she saw the same warriors sitting out in the clearing.

"No sign of them?" the dark gray she-cat sighed.

"Something must have happened," Moonshine murmured, her eyes drifting to look at the ground. Spottedheart looked up from her washing and flicked an ear at them.

"Let's just pray to StarClan that there have been no deaths witnessed tonight," the medicine cat reminded. Lionpaw let the tortoiseshell's words of wisdom seep into her mind. It would shatter the Clan if any member died in the attack, but then again, having a WindClan warrior move on to StarClan would anger Ivystar's already ambitious heart. Lionpaw followed Spottedheart's suggestion and prayed silently, hoping that none of her clanmates were deeply harmed, especially the apprentices. Even if Griffonpaw was the one hurt, Lionpaw would not wish something like that on another cat.

Suddenly, the ferns trembled near the entrance of the camp. Scarletberry's eyes flashed, and her ears instinctively pricked up. Lionpaw stepped away from the warrior, unsheathing her claws in case it was an enemy warrior. Spottedheart ushered Fernpaw to Dark Stone, wanting to be close by to the herbs she and her apprentice so carefully prepared. Moonshine leaped up onto the tip of Dark Stone, her tail lashing. Mousenose crouched underneath her, his lips beginning to curl back into a snarl. Lionpaw tensed as the shadowy figure of a cat's head came out of the hole, its face hidden in the shadows. With wide, blue eyes, the cat stepped out of the entrance and into the moonlight, revealing himself as Thistlepaw. Lionpaw relaxed for a moment, and then her fur bristled at the sight of him.

Thistlepaw was almost completely covered in blood. His ear was slightly torn, and was still bleeding. Blood bubbled from his mouth and was splattered all over his face; one of his eyes was closed due to the blood around it. The scarlet, liquid substance had hardened on his fur, and some of it still dripped at the tips of his hair. His claws, which were usually a white color, were bathed crimson. Paws stumbling, Thistlepaw dragged himself forward, his tail lying limp behind him, already covered in dust and dirt. Though he looked like the living dead, his eyes still shined brightly. Lionpaw wanted to go forward and start covering the tom in sympathetic, comforting licks, but she couldn't move from where she was; she was too shocked to do anything.

"Thistlepaw!" Fernpaw screeched, flinging herself toward her brother. Thistlepaw smiled weakly, collapsing to the ground with a thankful sigh. Fernpaw started to lick the blood away, spitting away the salty taste with a disdainful gag every other time. Thistlepaw rested his chin on his paws, purring, relieved to be back safely. Lionpaw forced herself to move forward, leaning by the tom and doing the same task as Fernpaw. Soon enough, Thistlepaw was completely clean. Turned out, the blood was more from his enemies than it was him; there were a few deep scratches, but none of which were serious. After giving him the proper herbs, Thistlepaw was carried to Moonshine, where he was asked proper questions.

"Where's Lunarstar and the rest of the warriors?" Moonshine inquired.

"Resting," Thistlepaw rasped. "They're by the Ghost Tree. Lunarstar lost a life during the battle, so he can't make it back to the camp. The warriors refused to leave his side, so they sent me to share the news."

"Was ShadowClan defeated?" Moonshine blinked in surprise.

"No, but we didn't win either. At first, Ivystar wanted to challenge Lunarstar directly to see who was the better leader rather than have a fair Clan fight. However, at the moment when Lunarstar could give a killing blow, he gave mercy to Ivystar. She was furious and humiliated, so in return, she took away one of Lunarstar's lives. Afterwards, Twistedtail gave the signal to attack, and we fought. Until Coalfur took one of Ivystar's lives, the battle came to an end. It took us a while to get back, since all of us were weak from fighting. But we were warriors and fought for the safety of our Clan." With a sigh, Thistlepaw drifted off to sleep, too tired to speak. Moonshine licked the area in between the tom's ears, whispering a few words of gratitude to him. The deputy rose her head, signaling to Mousenose, Scarletberry, and Spottedheart.

"Go and retrieve the rest of the warriors. Those who can walk easily will come back to camp and get fresh-kill and sleep. Those who are too weak will immediately get treated by Spottedheart and carried by their clanmates. Go now, and I will check up on the progress later." The three cats dipped their heads, and with bundles of herbs in their jaws, they departed to ShadowClan territory. Moonshine watched them leave, her clear eyes glad. She turned back to Lionpaw and Fernpaw, who were the only cats left in the camp. "Both of you, carry Thistlepaw to his den. Lionpaw, get some sleep with him. Fernpaw, go and see if your mentor needs any help from you. If she doesn't, you get some shut eye too. We need all of our strength tomorrow."

"Yes, Moonshine," Lionpaw and Fernpaw mewed together. They lifted their clanmate onto their backs and carefully walked to the apprentice's den. After settling the exhausted tom into his nest, Lionpaw settled in beside him, pressing her nose against his matted fur. Fernpaw, seeing that everything was under control, raced away to follow the older cats to Ghost Tree. The last thing Lionpaw heard was the sound of Fernpaw's frantic paw steps and Thistlepaw's slow breathing before she fell away into a slumber.

Lionpaw was surprised to wake up on her own; usually another warrior or apprentice roused her for early training. Then, she remembered the night before. _Lunarstar must be too weak to do training today. _Lionpaw's jaws parted into a yawn as she got up to stretch her legs. She glanced wearily at Thistlepaw, who had been moved to a different part of the apprentice den where Griffonpaw snuggled close to him, a smile on her face. Lionpaw could tell that Griffonpaw had feelings for Thistlepaw, so seeing him with another she-cat would make Griffonpaw jealous and defensive. Lionpaw didn't feel the same way for Thistlepaw; they were just friends. Though she liked being around the comforting, gray tom, to spare Griffonpaw's feelings, Lionpaw would give them their space. Feeling energized, Lionpaw padded out of the den, prepared to see her clanmates after the battle.

There weren't many warriors in the camp clearing. Mousenose, a warrior that did not fight in the battle, was talking to his former apprentice, Whitewind, by the fresh-kill pile. Lionpaw flinched at the sight of Whitewind's wounds. There were many places where fur had been torn away, and there was a nasty scratch across her muzzle that was outlined with dark, hardened blood. Cobwebs had been pressed against it, causing one of Whitewind's eyes to be closed. Lionpaw could feel herself begin to tremble, but she forced herself to remain calm. Whitewind was okay; that was all that mattered. One scar would not change a thing. As Lionpaw continued to look around, she saw Goldenpool bathing herself in the sunlight, purring from the warmth against her fur. She had a few deep scratches, but she looked fine. Eyes searching, Lionpaw found Twistedtail speaking to Moonshine, who listened to him intently, her eyes wide. Lionpaw was not one to eavesdrop, but she was interested. She leaned her ears forward to hear.

"It is not my place to speak to other warriors this way, but Coalfur should not have taken one of Ivystar's lives," Twistedtail growled, his green eyes serious. His tails lashed in fury.

"I understand your concern, but Coalfur had stopped the battle," Moonshine reminded calmly.

"It doesn't mean it was the right thing to do," Twistedtail argued, the muscles on his flat face tensing up. "WindClan and ShadowClan are now complete rivals. I'll be surprised if Ivystar doesn't threaten us at the next Gathering."

"Ivystar declared war on the Clans long ago," Moonshine mewed. "It is our duty to remind her that we will face every threat she makes to us and defend our borders well. The only way we can do that is by having a strong Clan."

"And what makes a strong Clan, Moonshine?" Twistedtail demanded, raising an eye.

"Experienced cats that follow the warrior code: warriors."

"Exactly. Have you seen the apprentices? Rowanpaw, Thistlepaw, and Griffonpaw have all fought in the battle last night, and they fought like true warriors. Lunarstar has delayed their ceremony long enough; it is time we bring new warriors into the Clan."

Moonshine pondered the thought for a moment, and then tipped her head to one side.

"What about Lionpaw? As I recall, you are her second mentor, so you must have been the progress she has been doing. She's learned the warrior code and techniques as fast as any apprentice I have ever seen. Don't you think she's ready to become a warrior too?" Twistedtail narrowed his eyes, his claws unsheathing.

"She hasn't been in the Clan as long as the other apprentices. Also, she suffered from injuries that left her behind in her training; there should be more lessons that can be learned. Besides, how can we trust an outsider like her? WindClan has let two rogues become warriors, and they have shown no motivation to protect their adopted Clan. What if Lionpaw does the same thing? What if she becomes a traitor?"

"I believe that Lionpaw is not disloyal," Moonshine snarled back. "She has shown the heart of the true warrior by putting her clanmates before herself. That's enough to prove her loyalty."

"She didn't fight in the battle," Twistedtail pointed out.

"That doesn't mean she's not ready," Moonshine added, sounding impatient.

"All I ask is that you make Rowanpaw, Thistlepaw, and Griffonpaw a warrior, but keep Lionpaw an apprentice for at least one more moon. As much as we need warriors, we need apprentices." With that, Twistedtail turned and stalked away, glaring at Lionpaw as he swept past to the fresh-kill pile. Goldenpool immediately stood up and limped to her mate. Lionpaw watched them press their muzzles together lovingly and sit down near a shaded spot. Stomach twisting, Lionpaw approached Moonshine. The deputy blinked in surprise at the sight of the golden she-cat.

"You heard all that?" the silver warrior meowed.

"Yes," Lionpaw murmured, her tail drooping at being caught.

"As much as I disagree, Twistedtail does have a point. Can ShadowClan trust you?" Moonshine asked, her eyes pondering. Lionpaw looked up fiercely, fire burning in her amber gaze.

"I promise I'll be loyal to my Clan! I'll stay as an apprentice if I have to in order to earn my warrior name. You can trust me!"

"Good," Moonshine purred. "I knew you would understand. I have high hopes for you, Lionpaw—we all do, even Lunarstar. When the time comes that you stand beneath the Dark Stone under the eye of StarClan, you will be proven as a true warrior, and then I'll know that Lunarstar made the right choice in bringing you into the Clan. Do not be discouraged young Lionpaw; you have my support." Lionpaw's eyes stretched wide with wonder as Moonshine made her way to the leader's den, needing to speak with Lunarstar about the warrior ceremony. Ear tips burning, Lionpaw stalked to the medicine den, wanting to share the news with Fernpaw.

"Warriors? That's great!" the medicine cat apprentice exclaimed, her eyes suddenly excited. "I knew you could make it, Lionpaw!"

"Actually," Lionpaw cut in, embarrassed, "I'm not getting my warrior name. I wasn't in the battle."

"Oh, but I thought..." Fernpaw's words trailed away as she caught a warning look from Spottedheart. Bending her head down shamefully, Fernpaw began apologizing.

"It's okay; I don't think I'm ready to become a warrior right away," Lionpaw put in, her heart twisting at the words that came out of her mouth. She knew that she was deceiving herself; what she said was not true. Lionpaw did long to become a warrior, and she was certain that her skills could prove that. However, destiny begged to differ. _Oh StarClan, when will I be ready? Will my time ever come? _

A yowl from the clearing interrupted their discussion.

"Already?" Spottedheart gasped. "Lunarstar must feel this is the right choice if he called a meeting so soon. The two of you, go and find a place underneath Dark Stone. I will be right there." Side-by-side, Lionpaw and Fernpaw dashed into the clearing, taking a seat by Silverstorm, Fernpaw's mother. The silver warrior welcomed them with a smile, and then looked up as the meeting started. Lionpaw lifted her eyes as well, and she held her breath at the sight of Lunarstar.

Her leader was covered in scratches, with a deep one at his neck. It was all healing, but from his trembling limbs, Lionpaw could tell that the tabby was still weak. Nonetheless, Lunarstar held his chin up high and proud, his hazel eyes lifted to StarClan.

"I, Lunarstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these three apprentices. They have trained hard to understand your noble code, and in return, I commend them to be made warriors. Rowanpaw, Thistlepaw, and Griffonpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your own life?"

"I do," Rowanpaw meowed, her voice firm.

"I do," Thistlepaw replied, his eyes calm.

"I do," Griffonpaw stammered, her ears twitching nervously.

"Then by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Rowanpaw, from this moment you will be known as Rowanheart. StarClan honors you for your wisdom and integrity." Rowanheart bowed her head respectively, the sun opening from the clouds and covering her fur in sunlight, causing her ginger stripes to glow a fiery red. Lionpaw breathed at the beautiful sight of her friend, feeling pride that Rowanheart was finally a warrior. She paused as Lunarstar continued.

"Thistlepaw, from this moment you will be known as Thistletail. StarClan honors you for your bravery and honesty." Thistletail dipped his head, a smile stretching across his face. Lionpaw tried to catch his eye, but he was too overwhelmed in the moment to even notice her. Though slightly hurt, Lionpaw was still excited.

"Griffonpaw, from this moment you will be known as Griffonclaw. StarClan honors you for your determination and fierceness." Griffonclaw was the last to lean her head down, and together, the three new warriors raised their heads to StarClan. The Clan burst out in cheering, chanting the warrior names together. "Rowanheart, Thistletail, Griffonclaw! Rowanheart, Thistletail, Griffonclaw!"

"Rowanheart, Thistletail, Griffonclaw!" Lionpaw yowled as loud as she could, hoping that they would hear her. Rowanheart glanced over at the apprentice, her eyes warm with gratitude. Thistletail also looked in her direction with a smirk on his face. Griffonclaw didn't seem to notice at all.

"The three of you will stand vigil tonight, so get some sleep. And remember, not a word." With that said, Lunarstar retreated to his den, dismissing the Clan. Moonshine began organizing patrols for the day. While the rest of the Clan was busy, Lionpaw bounded over to the three new warriors, hoping to get a word in privately. However, Scarletberry blocked her way.

"Leave them to sleep," the older warrior advised. "You can speak to them tomorrow morning." Lionpaw looked behind Scarletberry, and disappointment filled her when she saw Thistletail's tail disappearing into the warrior's den. The apprentice looked back at the scarlet warrior obediently, though she was still irritated about not talking to them. Lionpaw let Scarletberry lead her to the camp entrance; her guesses were that Scarletberry was in charge of her for the day.

"Lunarstar wanted us to look around Ghost Tree for any signs of WindClan. They could have tried and followed us into our own territory," Scarletberry explained, slipping through the camp entrance with Lionpaw on her tail. They appeared on the other side, below the ravine. Together, they climbed up the steep path with ease. Forest scents flooded Lionpaw's nostrils as she appeared over the top. She caught the scent of mouse, and after permission from Scarletberry, she tracked it in the undergrowth. It didn't take long for the apprentice to reappear with the fresh-kill in her mouth. After some praises from Scarletberry, they shared the morsel, licking the scraps off of their lips.

They continued through the forest, bird calls echoing from every tree and bush. A hawk flew in the distance, and Scarletberry gave out a snort.

"Hawks are usually a danger to cats; they go after our kits when they're not protected. If ShadowClan had kits, we would go straight back to camp and warn our warriors." Lionpaw nodded her head in agreement, understanding the situation. It took a few minutes until they reached Ghost Tree. The white willow's branches hung gloomily down, almost touching the forest floor. Lionpaw could see why the ShadowClan warriors chose such a hiding spot; the branches would protect them from predators. Remembering her task in the first place, Lionpaw sniffed around, trying to find any evidence of WindClan. Scarletberry began doing the same.

"No sign of WindClan warriors," Lionpaw reported after scanning the whole area.

"Good," Scarletberry replied, sniffing by the roots of Ghost Tree.

"Should we report back to Lunarstar?" Lionpaw asked. Scarletberry lifted her head, looking confused. Lionpaw was puzzled as well. Scarletberry was an experienced warrior; shouldn't she know that she had to report what she had seen after returning from patrol?

"Yes, we should report this," Scarletberry agreed. "Do you think you could tell him for me, Lionpaw?"

"Is something wrong?" Lionpaw blinked in surprise.

"No, nothing at all," Scarletberry replied, giving out a fake smile. "I just need to check something."

"I could help," Lionpaw offered.

"No, it's quite alright," Scarletberry quickly declined, lashing her tail in dismissal. "Now go and tell Lunarstar; I'm sure he'll enjoy the news." Lionpaw hesitated for a moment, and then turned and raced in the direction of the camp. She found herself stopping behind a trunk where Scarletberry could not see her. Lionpaw didn't want to betray Scarletberry after gaining her friendship again, but there was something odd that the warrior was up to. Lionpaw ducked underneath the brambles, peering at the Ghost Tree. Scarletberry continued to search, her eyes focused on her work. Then suddenly, she stopped at a raised area of dirt.

Scarletberry started do dig, her paws frantically lashing at the ground. Gradually the hole got deeper and deeper, until Scarletberry stopped, her eyes widening. Lionpaw bent forward to see what she found, but it was impossible. Scarletberry bit something with her teeth, dragging it out of the ground. Lionpaw's stomach churned as Scarletberry pulled out a cat's skull from what used to be a grave. The scarlet warrior dug up the rest of the bones, putting it into one, big pile. She pulled them to the Ghost Tree, where the roots opened up to expose a small cave. There, Scarletberry deposited the bones, filling the entrance with dirt. She evened out the ground, trying to hide the evidence, but Lionpaw saw it all. _What was so important about those bones that Scarletberry had to dig up? _

"StarClan, I have done what I must with the prophecy. I have told no one of it. Though the ancestors of LionClan are long gone, I sacrifice the only connection I have to a lion's spirit. Lionblaze is in the ranks of StarClan, so though I can't sacrifice his spirit, I can sacrifice what is left of his body. The Clans shall not be destroyed; I have prevented this prophecy from coming true. StarClan, receive my sacrifice now." Scarletberry's voice rang high and clear from Ghost Tree. She seem determined, desperate, and terrified. The bones at her paws began to tremble, and Lionpaw could see a faint light reflect from the white bark on the willow tree. Nothing changed except for the slight tremor, and for a moment, Scarletberry looked lost. Her eyes lightened as she thought of a new idea, and she looked down at the sacrifice with confidence.

_"__Though the Survival of the Clans was a blessing, War still bounds each to their borders. When peace has settled in for too long, dark feelings begin to arise, and a shadow is born. With each secret and feeling of lonesome, the shadow's powers will burst and bring an old enemy back into existence. The blood of the Clans will no longer run pure after a forbidden love creates a forbidden birth. Clanmates will go against clanmates and Clans against Clans, unless the spirit of a lion is sacrificed to seal the dark feelings away."_

After reciting the prophecy, the earth cracked underneath Scarletberry's paws, and the bones split. The scarlet warrior's eyes stretched wide in shock as the ground began to crumble underneath her. Shadows stretched from the roots of the trees, consuming the bones in pure darkness. "NO!" Scarletberry exclaimed, her jaws opened wide. An uncontrollable wind rose from the clouds, whipping at Scarletberry's fur, threatening to pull her away.

"What has happened?!" Scarletberry demanded, her voice full of rage and confusion. "I have done what you asked!" Lionpaw quivered from her hiding space, her fur on end. The images of the shadows reflected back her dream; the shadows that consumed everything. Reality hit Lionpaw as she realized that her dreams were beginning to become reality. Whatever prophecy Scarletberry had received, it related to the shadows, foreseeing the destruction of the Clans. Scarletberry thought she had done what was needed to prevent all of it from happening, but instead, she shared the prophecy with Lionpaw without meaning to. Who knows what would have happened if Lionpaw had not been there to overhear, but now, Scarletberry had made sure the prophecy would come true. Lionpaw knew everything, and that would change the history of the Clans.

**Scarletberry tries to take matters into her own paws, but ends up telling Lionpaw the prophecy! Don't worry, Lionpaw will become a warrior either in the next chapter or the chapter after the next chapter. She'll get there. For those who are still reading, thanks! L.B. out! **


End file.
